Conflicted Galaxies
by FR0ST16
Summary: When a fully armed UNSC Infinity is transported to another galaxy by a strange spatial anomaly, Lasky and his crew are forced into the middle of a galactic Civil War, but soon realize they weren't the only ones affected by the very same anomaly that brought them there. Their struggle eventually leads to the liberation of a planet and full out intergalactic warfare.
1. New Arrival (Updated)

**Chapter 1**

 **To ODST Ezra B, thanks for the suggestions.**

* * *

 **Year: 2560**

 **Ship: UNSC Infinity**

 **Location: Unknown**

 **Captain's Log: Captain Thomas Lasky, UNSC Captain of the UNSC Infinity, service number 98604-72690-TL. We have discovered an Anomaly and Central Command has ordered the Infinity to investigate. However, when we arrived, our Jump drive malfunctioned and we managed a blind jump into unknown space. Engineers are working around the clock to restore long range communications to Central Command. We have to be extremely careful... We don't know what could be out here.**

* * *

"Sir, we've picked up some sort of communication, but it doesn't sound like anybody we'd know," a communications Lieutenant reported.

Captain Tom Lasky stared at the Lt. in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it, sir. You need to hear this."

The Lt. raised the volume and this is what they heard:

" _This Rebellion has to be stopped and soon. Otherwise we could have all out war on our hands and that's something we really don't need..."_

The Lt. shut off the transmission, "Should we attempt to make contact?"

Laskey pondered the situation carefully before coming to a conclusion.

"Let's see what everything's like here first. We should stay under the radar until we know what's here."

"Yes sir!"

Lasky turned to the Navigation officers, "Any idea where we are?"

"We have the coordinates, sir, but they're not within our galaxy," an ensign reported.

"Not within the Milky Way? Then where are we?" Lasky asked.

"I don't know exactly, sir."

"Can we establish communications to Command?"

"If we want Live communications, I'm afraid that's not possible. However we can record a message and send it to Command. Should take about a month at most for the message to reach back home," the ensign replied.

Tom thought a moment, "What's the minimum?"

"A week or two. Don't know the exact time," a lieutenant replied.

"I suppose that will have to work. Get a message to Command immediately!" Lasky ordered.

"On it, sir!"

"I need some ODST units to scout some of the inhabited planets with communications. See what they can find out about the government here," Lasky ordered.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Ezra yelled to Sabine. She was painting her violet Starbird on another TIE fighter.

"One second, I'm almost done," she said.

"You said that two TIEs ago," Ezra complained.

"Hey, you can't rush art," she shot back, smiling.

Ezra looked around the wing of the TIE and saw a patrol of Stormtroopers headed their way, though they weren't alerted to their presence.

He turned back to Sabine who was placing the final touches on her purple bird.

"Those stormtroopers will be here any second now," he hissed.

"Alright, I'm done," Sabine said, packing up her paint applicator.

"About time," Ezra said. "This way."

They ran over to the other TIE fighters so they could get to the exit without being detected. Pretty soon, both Ezra and Sabine made it out of the Imperial TIE base and back to the Phantom II.

When they returned to the Ghost, Hera already had another mission for them.

"While you two were gone, one of our experimental cloaked scanners picked up something strange. Do you think you two are up for a little investigating?"

"Sure, why not," Sabine said.

"But we just got back from the TIE airfield!" Ezra protested.

"If you're saying you're tired, then you can sleep on the way there," Sabine said.

"It's not comfortable enough to even doze off in that thing!" Ezra exclaimed.

"Well you have me don't you? I can be your pillow," Sabine said with a wink as she walked back over to the Phantom II.

Ezra was frozen in place, his face a bright red. Hera stood behind him, her arms crossed.

"What did she mean by that?" she asked.

"I-I don't know..." Ezra said.

"Well, I trust you two won't to anything crazy," Hera said as she walked back to the Ghost's cockpit. Ezra's face turned a darker red, but Sabine's voice cut him out of his thoughts.

"Ezra, you coming or what?" she called.

"I-I... I'm coming!" he called back, running to the Phantom's access hatch.

* * *

 **A few hours later...**

"Sir, some of our ODSTs have returned," the ensign reported.

"Good," Lasky said. "Bring the squad leaders up here, I need the information they found."

"What about the other ODSTs?" the Lt. asked.

"How many squads are missing?" Lasky asked.

"One squad. All others are making their way up here as ordered," the ensign replied.

"Should we break radio silence?" the Lt. comm officer asked.

"Negative. Not until we know what's here."

"Yes sir!" the bridge crew replied.

* * *

"Grand Admiral," a bridge officer saluted the admiral on the Imperial Star Destroyer. "There's been reports of some heavily armed rebels in the Kamino system, but there's something different with these ones."

"Different? How so?" Admiral Thrawn asked.

"Our garrison on the planet can't seem to hurt them, even when their shots hit," the officer reported.

"Fascinating. Are you able to get me in contact with the garrison Commander?" Thrawn asked, calmly.

"I'm trying to contact him now..." the officer said. There was a small beep heard from the console, "Channel open, sir."

A blue image of the garrison's commander appears, and he looked terrified.

"Grand Admiral! It is a relief to see you have picked up our distress call," he said.

"I am aware there are rebels at your base. Can you describe them to me?"

"They're bigger than most people here, only shorter than the Kaminoans themselves! They're using ballistic weaponry, but we can't kill them!" the commander reported.

"You must be hallucinating, "Thrawn said coldly. "Ballistic weapons haven't been seen in millenia, not including our missiles and some torpedoes."

"Don't get me wrong, Grand Admiral. They seem to be trying to avoid a fight, which is also strange," the commander said.

"I'm on my way. I will provide you some more ground units to capture these rebels," Thrawn said. He closed the channel and ordered a course be set for Kamino.

* * *

"Who are these guys?" an ODST called out. Him and his unit have been caught snooping around the data complex by what they currently understand as Imperial Stormtroopers. They were able to collect almost all the information about the galaxy, its government, its citizens, everything.

"I don't know, but they have terrible aim!" another replied as he popped up over his cover and shot another trooper. He fell off the bridge and into the raging waters below.

"That had to hurt," the ODST medic said.

"Hey, cut the chatter! We still have to get out of here before we kill more of these guys! They could be the good guys, remember?" the squad leader called.

"Then again they might not be the good guys, but I'm not arguing with you," the medic said.

They called for their ride to pick them up and pretty soon, much to the Imperial's surprise, a Pelican appeared from the clouds and landed on one of the pads. All the ODSTs boarded the Pelican, keeping the Imperials off of it as it took off. They managed to get to a Strident-class heavy frigate just as an Imperial Star Destroyer appeared from Hyperspace.

"All hands, prepare to jump!" the captain of the Strident class ordered.

* * *

"Grand Admiral, there is a ship just a few klicks ahead of us of... unknown origin," an officer reported.

"Contact that vessel immediately. I wish to speak to the captain," Thrawn said.

Before a channel could be opened, a blue portal-like thing appeared in front of the vessel.

"Do not let them escape!" Thrawn ordered.

Just as he turned back to the viewport the ship was already gone.

"Grand Admiral, they jumped out... what it was, I don't know, but we can't track it's trajectory," an officer reported.

Thrawn placed his hand up to his chin, pondering what just happened. "Interesting."

"Grand Admiral?"

"Commander, I believe those aren't rebels. They are something completely different. Who they are and where they came from, I intend to find out," Thrawn said.

* * *

"Ezra, are you awake?" Sabine said, shaking his shoulder.

"Mmmm..." he groaned. "I am now. Where are we?"

"I was just about to bring the ship out of hyperspace. I needed you to keep an eye on the scanners for me," Sabine answered.

"Whatever you say," he said with a grin, making Sabine smile.

Sabine dropped the ship out of hyperspace and the very first thing they saw took their breath away. Ahead of them there was a massive ship, along with a few other smaller vessels.

"Kriff," Sabine said.

"Sabine, what's the length of a Star Destroyer again?" Ezra asked.

"I believe they're 1,600 meters to be exact..." Sabine said, her mouth still agape at the sight of this massive ship in front of them.

A voice came over their comms, "Unidentified vessel, this is Captain Thomas Lasky of the UNSC Infinity. You have entered restricted space. Identify yourselves!"

"I'm sorry for intruding, but..." Sabine started, but was interrupted.

"How did you find us?" the man asked.

"We didn't expect to find anything here... We were sent here to investigate an anomaly detected from one of our long range scanners," Sabine said.

* * *

Lasky waited for the captain of that small ship to answer. What he heard made him relax only a little bit.

"We didn't expect to find anything here... We were sent here to investigate an anomaly detected from one of our long range scanners," the female voice replied.

 **(In case you were wondering how the _Infinity_ was able to contact them on their radio frequency, one of the returned ODSTs from earlier helped with that)**

"Bring them aboard, but do not let security loosen up until we know who they are," Lasky ordered.

A marine saluted him, "Yes sir!"

The marine and his squad left for the hangars to await their guest's arrival.

"Unidentified vessel, how many people do you have on board and what kind of cargo are you carrying?" Lasky asked.

 **(I honestly don't know if they have scanners for this sort of thing and I can't find anything on the internet about it)**

The female voice answered with a confused tone, "It's just me and one male... and we don't have any cargo on board. Don't you guys have scanners?"

"That's classified. I am allowing you to board the _Infinity_. I would like to speak to you and your friend in person. You seem friendly enough, and I can answer any questions you may have under one condition," Lasky said.

"What would that be?" the female voice answered.

"If you tell us everything about where we are," Lasky said.

* * *

A few strange looking starfighters escorted the Phantom to one of Infinity's hangars. As soon as they docked, however, they saw armed soldiers waiting for them. They looked similar to some of the Rebel soldiers in their forest gear, but these guys seemed to have more armor and some sort of gun Sabine has never seen before.

"Command wants you to turn in any weapons you may have on you. You aren't under arrest, just standard precaution," a soldier said.

"Woah woah woah... I'm not surrendering my weapons to people I barely know!" Sabine said.

"Sabine, now's not the time to start a fight," Ezra said.

"You should know Mandalorians never leave their weapons behind much less surrender them," Sabine said.

"I'm sorry, but we can't take any chances here. We won't do anything to hurt you," the soldier said.

Ezra pulled out his blaster and lightsaber, and handed them to the soldier who stared at the weapons.

"What, you've never seen a blaster and a lightsaber before?" Ezra asked.

"Blaster is understandable... just never one of this design. Now as for a lightsaber I've never heard of it," the soldier said.

"You should be able to just clip it to your belt. Here, let me help," Ezra said, taking his lightsaber and clipping it to the soldier's belt. He looked up to see a few soldiers had their weapons trained on him.

"Woah hey I wasn't going to do anything!" he exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender.

The soldiers lowered their weapons as their squad leader looked to Sabine. "Now yours."

"Sorry not happening," Sabine said.

"Sabine, we don't want trouble with these guys. I mean, this ship is massive for crying out loud! I mean it's bigger than two of our MC80s combined!" Ezra said.

"How do you know this is bigger than two MC80s?" Sabine asked.

"I've seen two of them lined up before, and this still looks a lot bigger!" Ezra explained.

"I'll make you a deal... uh Sabine, right?" the soldier said.

"That's right. And this is Ezra," she said.

"Alright, Sabine, I'll make you a deal: I'll let you keep your weapons IF you promise not to use them in any way as long as you're on this ship," the soldier said.

"How can I trust you?" Sabine asked.

"In return, we will take you to our captain as friends, not as an armed escort," the soldier said.

"That the best you can offer?" Sabine asked then.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I will be breaking enough orders by letting you keep your weapons. If not, you can follow your friend's lead..." the soldier began but Sabine interrupted him.

"Fine, I agree to your terms!" Sabine said.

"Good. Now if you will please, follow me." The soldier began leading Ezra and Sabine to a lift to the bridge.

* * *

Lasky turned around when he heard his Marines return from the hangar with their two guests.

"Their names are Sabine and Ezra, though they never gave their last names. These are the boy's weapons, but the girl insisted on keeping hers. Something about 'Mandalorian honor' or something like that," the soldier said, handing Lasky the DL-44 and the lightsaber.

"Only as long as she doesn't use them in here," Lasky said and the soldier nodded, confirming there was a deal made.

"Ezra and Sabine... Am I right?" Lasky began, looking to the two teens.

"Yes sir! My full name is Ezra Bridger. This is Sabine Wren, from..." Ezra began but Sabine interrupted him.

"Sabine Wren, from House Vizsla, Clan Wren," she said.

"I understand the... Mandalorians, never surrender their weapons?" Lasky asked.

"It would bring dishonor to my family," she said bitterly.

"I will respect your wishes, then. I do not wish to create enemies while we are here... though I hear one of my squads got caught up in a firefight with... whatever those white-armored guys are," Lasky said.

"Stormtroopers? Are you guys against the Empire?" Ezra asked.

"Right now I need confirmation on our current location and who the good guys are," Lasky said.

"Tell us who _you_ are first, then we'll talk," Sabine said.

"As you wish. I am Captain Thomas Laskey of the UNSC _Infinity_. My crew and I were investigating an anomaly when our slipspace drive malfunctioned, bringing us here. All we know is we're in the wrong galaxy," Lasky said.

"You guys aren't from here? At all?" Sabine asked, now starting to relax a bit.

"No. Now what about you two?" Lasky asked.

"I'm from the planet Krownest in Mandalorian space. Ezra is from a planet called Lothal, which is under Imperial rule. How much data do you guys have of this place?" Sabine said.

"Almost none at all. We're still awaiting the arrival of my..." Lasky started to explain, but was interrupted when a Strident-class heavy frigate came out of slipspace.

"Captain, I'm picking up a slipspace rupture just off our starboard side!" an ensign reported.

"Good they're finally here!"

* * *

The Strident-class frigate docked with the _Infinity_ and the ODST soldiers immediately went up to the bridge to turn in what they have found.

"Captain, sir!" the ODSTs all said, giving him a crisp salute. Ezra's and Sabine's eyes grew wide at the sheer height of these men, and the armor they were wearing.

"What do you have for me?" Lasky asked.

"We managed to gather enough information about our current position, the government, the military... literally almost everything, all from that stormy ocean planet," the ODST leader said.

"You mean Kamino?" Sabine asked.

The ODST turned to look at her. "Who is she?"

"This is Sabine Wren and her friend Ezra Bridger. They appeared out of nowhere just off our Starboard side, apparently investigating an anomaly... which I believe was us coming in here," Lasky said.

Ezra stood up and held out a hand, "It's nice to meet you."

The soldier just stared at Ezra, but he was kind enough to shake Ezra's hand. "I suppose I can say the same. Let me just say, those... Stormtroopers do not seem friendly."

"They're not. The Empire isn't a good thing around here. It's a full galactic tyranny. You see, Sabine and I are Rebels; A group of people trying to combat the Empire... and right now things aren't looking good for us," Ezra explained.

"How bad is this... _Empire_?" Lasky asked.

"The info you have wouldn't show you the truth, but they have committed genocide against innocent races, driven innocent people from their homes, all because they said no to them... I lost my parents that way," Ezra explained, only this time he had a sad tone in his voice when he mentioned his rested her hand on his arm, to comfort him.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lasky said.

"It sounds a lot like the Covenant, sir," the ODST guy said.

"What's the Covenant?" Ezra asked.

"They are an empire of alien races, who attacked all of humanity's colonized planets in the Milky Way galaxy, where we're from, in a genocidal campaign, to put it plainly," Lasky said, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice. Ezra couldn't feel any connection to him, meaning there was no Force with him or anybody in the ship. But even then, he recognized that tone.

"You lost people you cared about during that time, didn't you?" Sabine asked, also catching his sad tone.

"As a matter of fact I have. But it's something I don't talk about," Lasky said.

"I understand that completely," Ezra said.

After hours of explaining and all sorts of briefing, like where they came from, where exactly they were, etc, they finally came to a conclusion.

"Alright. I suppose this Empire should be brought down, but I'm afraid that's up to my superiors back home," Lasky said.

"By the way, captain," Sabine started. "I love this ship. It's... It's huge!"

Ezra grinned, "You just now say that?"

His wrist comm went off, and Hera's voice was heard through it.

"Ezra, Sabine, where in the galaxy are you two?" she asked, obviously furious.

"Sorry Hera," Ezra started. "We were just talking with some new friends."

"New friends?" Hera asked, her anger melting. "Who are they?"

"Well... how do I put this... They aren't exactly from here," Sabine said.

"What do you mean not _from_ here?" Hera asked.

"They're not from this galaxy. Have you ever heard of the Milky Way?" Ezra said.

* * *

Pretty soon, there was a massive 5,694 meter starship in orbit around Yavin 4. Hera was allowed to board the _Infinity_ with a small group of Rebel marines as a guard.

"I presume you are the famous Captain Syndulla?" Lasky asked.

"Captain and General, yes. And you must be Captain Thomas Lasky," she replied.

"It's a pleasure to meet with you, but I know you are not the full Rebel leadership... granted we are unknown to you," Lasky said.

"I can say the same to you. Impressive ship you have here," Hera said, looking around the bridge.

"Thank you. I must say, for a small group you really seem to know how to hit the Empire," Lasky complemented. He has read the data and reports about the Phoenix Squadron's successful missions.

"Now, about why I'm here," Hera said.

"Right. So as you know already, we are not from here at all," Lasky started, bringing up a star chart.

"Is that...?" Hera started.

"Yes, this is the Milky Way. I'm sure if you use your space telescopes you will see it," Lasky said.

"I wouldn't doubt civilizations before space travel would have done that, but by now those records no longer exist," Hera said.

Ezra turned to the ODST marine standing next to him and saw the patch on his armor.

"What's ODST?" Ezra asked.

"Orbital Drop Shock Trooper," the marine said. "We're the Special Operations of the UNSC Marine Corp. We better than the normal marines, but we aren't the most elite. That title belongs to the Spartans."

"Spartans?" Ezra asked.

"You don't know what Spar-," the marine caught himself. "Sorry I forgot we're in the wrong galaxy."

"Spartans are basically the Elite of the Elite," the ODST explained. "You see, the difference between us ODST and a Spartan, for one thing, Spartans are a lot bigger. The Master Chief is like, 6 foot 10. And Spartans are genetically enhanced, so they can really take a hit and keep moving. However, they like to steal our kills. They're good, but us ODSTs don't really like them very much."

"Who was he?" Ezra asked.

"He was the best Spartan of us all. It was said that you should never underestimate a Spartan... but the one you really did not want to mess with was the Chief. He's taken down a Covenant assault carrier alone. Let me tell you those suckers are as huge as _Infinity_. Taking one down is no easy feat," the ODST said.

"But you're a Spartan?" Sabine asked.

"No. They also have their own separate military branch. The ODST don't have as good of armor as them. We work with the Marine Corp, but the actual Spartan branch work wherever they're needed. You get what I mean?"

"Sort of," Ezra said.

"Captain Lasky said something about a... what is it, Slipstream drive?" Sabine asked.

"Slipspace. It's our form of space travel. It's a drive that opens something like a portal to almost another dimension of space. The ones we have are not as good as the Covenant's... and theirs isn't even close to as good as the Forerunner," the ODST said.

"Forerunners?" Sabine asked.

"It's... hard to explain. If it weren't for the Master Chief, every bit of humanity would be dead in our galaxy," an ensign said.

"I'm probably saying too much already," the ODST said. "How do you guys go places?"

"We have Hyperdrives. It propels the ship into another dimension of space called _hyperspace_ ," Sabine said.

"Is it fast?" the ensign asked.

"It depends on what class hyperdrive you have. Anything with a 1.0-class hyperdrive is pretty fast, but 0.1 almost anything could outrun it," Sabine answered.

"Interesting," the ODST said.

* * *

 **A few hours later**

"We should probably leave this system and fast. Who knows what the Empire is picking up from our very presence," Lasky said.

"Are you going to help us fight?" Ezra asked.

"I'm afraid I can't. Humanity isn't ready for another galactic conflict... the Covenant made sure of that back home," he said.

"That and it's just one ship, Ezra," Hera said.

"Yes, but we have 10 _Strident_ -class heavy frigates docked. The _Infinity_ can deploy a small battlefleet of ships if the need comes, but looking over the Star Destroyer data we received, our cruisers _could_ be obliterated by one of those SDs," Lasky said.

"Then there's the matter of a fleet of SDs," the ODST commander said.

"Indeed. I don't think _Infinity_ could last too long against a fleet like that," Lasky agreed.

"So... you won't fight," Ezra said.

"Not unless we are fired upon. We've lived by that code for centuries, and we're not dropping it," Lasky said.

"So unless the Empire attacks you first, then you won't fight?" Hera asked, only to clear it up.

"I'm afraid so. Unless that happens, we can only watch and gather as much data as I can. We need to find a way home," Lasky said.

"I understand. Do what you will," Hera said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Lasky said.

* * *

A little while later, Ezra, Sabine, Hera, and their group of rebel officers undocked from the _Infinity_. Not long after they were clear of the ship, they saw the Slipspace drive in action, which really impressed everyone.

 _"When a ship jumps to slipspace, we call it a 'slipspace rupture.' We are able to detect it easily, and apparently with the right equipment, you could too."_

That's what the ODST explained to Ezra and Sabine after they asked about the Slipspace drive, or as they call it they Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Drive, FTL drive, and occasionally calls the slipspace itself the slipstream. They use many terms for their jump technology, it was hard for even Sabine to register all of them.


	2. Terrible Encounter

**Chapter 2**

"Imperial Shuttle 1152 requesting docking permissions," the Imperial shuttle pilot said through the comm to a Star Destroyer.

"Shuttle 1152, docking codes received and accepted. Proceed to Bay 2," the flight commander said.

The shuttle pilot landed the shuttle in its designated landing bay.

"Grand Admiral, we have arrived," the pilot said.

In the shuttle's crew compartment, Thrawn acknowledged the announcement and walked down the opening loading ramp. The Destroyer's hanger crew all stood at attention for the Grand Admiral.

"At ease, everyone. Your welcome is appreciated, as always," the Grand Admiral said, relieving the crews to their duties.

Thrawn made his way to the bridge and his second in command was waiting for him.

"Grand Admiral," Constantine said. "I presume your trip went well?"

"Indeed it was, Admiral," Thrawn said, his stone cold voice as calm as ever. "The Emperor has taken the arrival of these unknown people very well. However, he has tasked us with investigating who these people are and where they came from."

"Where should we begin?" Constantine asked.

"Set a course to our first encounter with these soldiers; To Kamino," Thrawn said.

Pretty soon, the viewscreen was full of blue as the Star Destroyer, and the entirety of 7th Fleet, jumped to hyperspace; Straight to Kamino.

* * *

"John-117? Are you sure about this sir?" an ODST asked.

"I'm afraid there's no other choice," Lasky said. "You know he's the best at something like this."

"Yeah, by blowing things up," another ODST joked.

Lasky glared at the ODST unit. "He only blows things up, when there's nothing else he can do. If there's a chance at peace with the natives of this galaxy, then he'll take it."

"Well last I heard we already made peace with… what a Rebellion?" the first ODST asked.

"This Rebellion is for the good of the galaxy… or so I was told, but we don't want to fight anybody unless we absolutely have to," Lasky said.

He continued to brief the mission to the ODSTs. They were to first report to the hangars with the Spartans. They would have had a rendezvous with some Rebel craft, but they didn't want to get involved in their conflict against the Empire, so they're scouting different Imperial controlled planets to gather more information on how exactly they stay in power. They had to avoid fighting at all costs, and follow Imperial rules. They had to blend in… at least as much as a bunch of 6 foot super soldiers could, but it is a big galaxy after all.

The ODSTs arrived at the hangars and they saw the Master Chief himself standing in front of a row of Pelicans.

"So what are we using?" the ODST leader asked the Chief.

"You're all in temporary command of a Strident-class heavy frigate. Of course the Master Chief is top command of it," a hangar engineer said. This engineer has been briefed on some of the specifics, but not all. He only knew they needed a Strident-class frigate and who was in command of it.

"I don't think Strident frigates have any drop pods," an ODST said. This guy was new to the group and didn't know much about ships.

"Really? I always thought they did," another said.

"Either way, we are using Pelicans to deploy. We don't want to leave any pods or marks from the pods behind if we are to avoid the Imperials, or any beings, from discovering our full presence here," Chief said, taking everybody by surprise. "I've read the report of Team 5s encounter with the Imperials on Kamino. We cannot have any encounters like that, again."

The ODSTs stood at attention and called out simultaneously, "Yes sir!"

Lasky came over the speakers then, "Away team, you are cleared for ship transfer. The ship's crew will be at your command."

The Spartans and ODSTs boarded one of the Strident-class frigates to meet the crew standing at attention.

Chief and a few ODSTs made their way to the bridge and began departure protocols.

"This is Sierra 117 to _Infinity_. Are we clear for departure?" the Chief asked.

" _Infinity_ to Sierra 117, you have been cleared. Dropping you now," Laskey said.

The frigate was launched out of the docking bay and into open space.

"Nav," the Chief began. "Set a course to the nearest Imperial planet of low security."

Just moments later, the slipstream drive was active, and the heavy frigate jumped to Slipspace.

* * *

"Ezra," Sabine called, shaking Ezra's shoulder. "EZRA!"

Still no response from the young Padawan. Sabine groaned and slapped him.

"EZRA!" she screamed as she slapped his face.

"OW!" Ezra yelled, rubbing his face. "SABINE! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?"

"I was calling your name for about a minute," Sabine stated, crossing her arms. "What were you thinking about anyway?"

"Nothing…" Ezra said, but Sabine wasn't buying it.

"Ezra," she said, a stern tone in her voice.

He just sighed, "Alright, I was thinking about those ODST guys we met a few days ago. We haven't heard anything from them since."

"Ezra, they're trying to stay out of our conflict against the Empire. Any transmission they send to us could be intercepted and traced back to them. Even worse traced to us," Sabine said.

"I know, but…" Ezra began.

"No buts, Ezra. We can't risk the Empire catching us, and we can't drag people from another galaxy into this war," Sabine said.

"You're right…" Ezra said after a long pause, almost sad.

Sabine's eyes softened, hearing the sad tone in Ezra's voice. She almost wanted to give him a comforting kiss, but she couldn't. Instead she pulled him into a hug, which really surprised him.

Nobody knew that Sabine secretly loves Ezra, but everyone knew Ezra loves Sabine. Funny thing is, Ezra didn't know everybody knew his 'secret'. It was obvious from the very beginning.

The Ghost shook then, but something wasn't right. It didn't feel like a shot hit the ship, or like an asteroid or piece of debris hitting the hull. Whatever it was made the Ghost lose power for a few moments, but when it came back on, everything was flickering; As if the ship couldn't decide to kill the power or stay alive.

Hera ran down the hallway, a terrified look on her face but simultaneously confused.

"Hera what's going on?" Kanan asked.

"I don't know. Something that looked like a wormhole appeared, but before I could run scans, a massive ship appeared and the wormhole collapsed!" she explained.

Ezra ran out of his room and into the hallway, "Is it the UNSC?"

"I don't think so. Whatever it is, it's big and… purple," Hera said then.

"Purple?" Sabine asked.

"Who do you think they could be?" Zeb asked.

There was static heard from the cockpit, as if there was a transmission trying to get through. It was a language nobody has ever heard before. After a few minutes of attempting to speak with the unknown ship, there was a warning shot heard.

"Everybody get down!" Hera called.

A shot hit the Ghost, right in the airlock and it burst open. Fortunately, everybody was strapped down in the gun turrets or cockpit seats. Chopper was able to contain the breach by rerouting whatever power they had into their shields and focused it to the breach.

"Nice work, Chop," Hera said, much to the droid's approval.

"Hera, there's something coming…" Sabine said. She already ran to the breach to inspect the damage when she saw a strange looking ship headed for the breach. It looked like some sort of boarding ship.

"I think it's a boarding craft!" she called then.

"Who are these guys?" Hera asked. "Just the appearance of the ship knocked out our shields and they poked a hole in my ship?"

There was another jolt as the boarding ship clamped onto the side of the Ghost. Sabine had already run into the cockpit by that time.

"We need to lock ourselves into our rooms. Whoever these guys are, we can't escape them by ship," Hera said. "Go NOW!"

Everybody ran to their rooms and closed their doors, locking them. Soon, they heard large footsteps walking down the halls, so everybody was forced to climb into extra hiding spaces originally used to smuggle items past the Imperials… Everyone except Sabine and Ezra. There was barely room in the spaces and Zeb took up all the space.

He hid in a dark corner and when the footsteps faded to another part of the ship, Ezra carefully and quietly opened the door.

"Kid!" Zeb hissed, trying not to attract attention. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get to Sabine and make sure she's alright," he replied. "Also, there should be room in her hiding space for me."

"Are you crazy? You're going to get caught!" Zeb said.

"No I'm not," Ezra said.

Zeb caught on and stopped Ezra from opening the door further, instead quietly closing it again.

"Just climb through there," Zeb said, pointing to the ventilation shaft.

"You know I don't do that anymore!" Ezra hissed.

"Unless you want to be caught, I suggest you do it!" Zeb shot back, quietly.

Ezra took a moment to think when he heard those footsteps returning. This time there was chatter, but they didn't know what they were saying.

"Alright, fine!" Ezra finally said, jumping up into the vents.

Zeb closed the vent after Ezra was all the way inside and climbed back into his space. Just as his panel was closed all the way, he heard a sound from his door, as if it was being broken from the inside out. He heard the door hit the wall on the above his hiding spot, but he didn't dare move a muscle.

Heavy footsteps filled his room, along with more chatter from the unknown people. He knew right then these guys were not from this galaxy. He's heard every language in the galaxy, but these were different.

Ezra quietly crawled through the vents, at times using the force to make him hover slightly to avoid his clothes from dragging through the vents. He navigated his way to Sabine's room and quietly jumped down.

"Sabine," he whispered. He crept up to the panel and opened it. Before Sabine could cry out, he clamped his hand over her mouth.

"SHH!" he hissed. "It's just me. There's no room for me to hide in Zeb's room, and they already broke into it. Can I join you in here?"

"Why here?" she asked quietly.

"Because I know Hera and Kanan are together and Kanan Ezra-proofed his vent panel," Ezra said.

Sabine nodded instantly and made room for Ezra. They closed their panel just as the door next to their room was broken into.

Ezra looked at Sabine and saw a look he never wanted to see again. Her face had lost a lot of color and she was obviously trying not to scream. He couldn't blame her. This was something not even the Mandalorians could handle. The Imperials were well known, but whoever these guys were, they were unheard of.

Pretty soon, their door was the last one left standing, but not for long. When their door was smashed open, Sabine clung to Ezra and tried not to make a sound, literally choking herself. Ezra wrapped his arms around Sabine, making sure she knew she wasn't alone. There were heavy footsteps in the room, and the same chatter. Ezra suddenly looked puzzled and Sabine gave him a fearful _'what'_ look.

He used a hand language they made up and told her they're speaking pattern is the same from every other room; As if they're saying there's nobody here.

That made Sabine relax only a little, but whoever was on top, seemed to be taking notice of her art work. He stayed longer here than any other room. Sabine gave Ezra another fearful look, and he knew something was wrong. Then it clicked; He didn't close the vent panel.

The large creature stared at the colorful artwork at the walls, but then focused his attention to the open vent panel. His eyes drifted down and saw footprints in the dust and it stopped in a corner. He turned to his boarding party and told them to search the rooms again.

He himself stayed in the room and followed the tracks. He knelt down and stared around at the corner, the ceiling, then back to the floor. He didn't see anything out of the normal, except for a lot of dust. He eventually stood up and left the room.

Ezra and Sabine let out a quiet sigh of relief when the seemingly huge creature left the room. Sabine then let out a very quiet sob and used Ezra's shoulder to muffle her cries even more. Their panel was bent slightly inward, just inches from their heads.

"Sabine…" Ezra whispered, as quietly as he could but audible enough for Sabine to hear.

"I'm terrified beyond belief, Ezra… I don't understand their language," she replied between shaky breaths from her crying.

Ezra stared, surprised. "You've heard every language in this galaxy…"

"Apparently I haven't… unless there's something I…" Sabine started, but a huge bang shut her up.

They heard a lot of yelling, but they couldn't understand a single thing. However, it was obvious that they, whoever these guys were, are very angry and frustrated. Sabine squeaked, about to cry out in fear, but she quickly muffled her scream into Ezra's shoulder. He would've been blushing if this wasn't such a terrifying event.

Eventually, all talking and footsteps were gone and they heard something like a ship detaching itself from the Ghost. After a few more minutes of waiting, Chopper came up through their communicators and told them there were no other life signs onboard. Slowly, everybody left their hiding spots, except for Zeb, who was pinned under his door.

"Hey guys," Zeb said. "I'm pinned under my door. Little help here?"

Kanan helped Zeb out of his hiding space, Hera and Chopper went back to the cockpit and saw the ship disappear into another wormhole, and Sabine… well she began crying again into Ezra, who also looked pale from the damage those guys did to the Ghost.

"Whoever they are," Ezra began. "They are not from this galaxy."

"How do you know?" Zeb asked.

"There was no Force signature…" he replied.

Everybody looked at Kanan who nodded. "He's right. There was no Force signature. Whoever they are…"

Hera dropped a distress beacon for the Rebellion, who quickly arrived to tow the Ghost to a docking port. From there, they jumped back to Yavin. Sabine hadn't let go of Ezra's arm the entire way back, but her hand did slip into Ezra's which really made him worry. He led her into what was left of her room and sat down on the bed.

"Sabine talk to me. What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Whoever they were… I just want you to know something I've felt for a long time…" she began.

Ezra stared at her, his worry only growing.

"Ezra… promise me nothing will happen to you if we come across those guys again," she said, a pleading look in her eyes.

"Sabine…" Ezra said, but Sabine interrupted.

"Promise me, Ezra… Please…"

Her voice was breaking, still very frightened about this encounter. " _Please…_ I-I can't…"

"Sabine?" Ezra asked. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Promise me!" she urged.

"Sabine! You told me never to make promises we can't keep!" Ezra said, but Sabine didn't want to hear that.

"Ezra Bridger, please promise me you won't do anything stupid if this happens again!" she said. "At least promise me that…"

Ezra stared "Define 'stupid'."

"Don't confront them… don't sneak around like that again…" she said, her fear growing. Ezra could feel her fear, which was something he didn't like to feel.

"I promise… I promise I won't do anything like that," he said finally. What he got in response really surprised him. Sabine threw her arms around him and kissed him, but only for a few seconds.

She rested her head to his, "Thank you…"

* * *

"Captain Lasky, sir!" the ensign called. Lasky walked over to him.

"What is it, Ensign? A report from our away team?"

"Negative, sir. It's the Rebellion," he replied.

"The rebellion? I thought I told them we can't help them in their…" Lasky said, but he was interrupted.

"No sir, it's something different. They have an urgent message from a…" he took a moment to look at his notes. "General Syndulla."

Lasky turned to the communications officer, "Reroute that channel here, immediately."

A blue Twi'lek appeared on the holotable, but she looked frightened. In fact, her entire crew was standing around her, every last one of them looking just as terrified.

"Captain Lasky," Hera said.

"General Syndulla. I presume this must be urgent to contact us like this?"

"Indeed… my crew and I… encountered something."

"If it's something about the Empire, I'm afraid we can't help you," Lasky said.

"No it's not Imperial… though we were attacked. Our Jedi felt no Force signatures on the attackers," Hera said. Two men behind her nodded slowly.

"I've heard about your _Force_ and all but I don't understand what you're saying," Lasky said.

"My point is, Captain," Hera continued. "Whoever our attackers are, they were not of this galaxy."

Lasky frowned. "I assure you the UNSC would not do such a thing."

"We know it wasn't you… this ship…" Hera tried to explain it, but it all happened so fast. "Chopper, did you get a clear look of the vessel?"

The droid beeped in response, knowing what Hera wanted him to do.

There was another beep from the _Infinity_ 's communication console.

"Sir, they sent us something," the officer reported.

"Bring that up, too," Lasky said.

An image of an all too familiar ship appeared and Lasky paled slightly.

"We were wondering… if you know anything of this vessel," Hera said.

Lasky leaned onto the console and nodded. "We do indeed… and it's nothing good."

He heard the young woman in the background, whom he recalled as Sabine, make a noise.

"Syndulla, what's the status of your ship?" Lasky asked then.

"No power, one of the airlocks has been blown off… so many dents in the floors and walls, broken doors… critical," she replied.

"It's a miracle you and your ship are even here," Lasky said.

"We had spaces in our rooms, originally used for smuggling, to hide in," she said.

"Then it's no wonder they didn't find you, but the fact that your ship is even intact as well as it is already..." Lasky said.

"Who are they?" the boy known as Ezra asked, urgently.

"I'm afraid I'm not supposed to tell you, but it's also for your own good to avoid them at all costs," Lasky said. There was a long pause. "But considering that there's no time to ask Central Command for clearance, I can't just leave you in the dark."

Everyone from both sides of the communication looked uneasy.

"General Syndulla, Kanan, Ezra, Sabine… And you big, purple, hairy creature…"

"Zeb!"

Lasky winced, "Sorry… Zeb…" he paused a moment. "I'm afraid you have just met the Covenant."

"If the Covenant is here, then that means they also sent a ship to investigate the same Anomaly we found," a Lieutenant said.

Lasky nodded. "I'm afraid we have to break comms here, but I must warn you. _Avoid that ship at all cost. Do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT engage in any communications with them!_ "

That definitely did not make them feel better, but they took the warning to heart.

"You don't have to tell us twice," Ezra said.

"While you have your war against the Empire… We'll have our little war against that Covenant assault carrier you encountered." Lasky paused again before adding. "Good luck, all of you. Stay safe."

Their communication was broken and Lasky turned back to the Comms officer.

"Get me the Master Chief!"

"Right away!"

* * *

The Master Chief was just watching his unit train when he was told Lasky needed to speak to him.

"Chief, there's a message from Thomas Lasky for you. He says it's urgent," Cortana said.

"Send the transmission to that terminal," he said, pointing to a communications console. It was convenient he was standing near it when he got the message.

"Chief, I'm afraid there's terrible news," Lasky said.

"I read you loud and clear, too, sir. What's going on?" Chief said.

"Our _Rebel_ friends have encountered the Covenant within this galaxy. We need you to stay on alert," Lasky said.

"What ship did they find?" Cortana asked then.

"Their ship's power was knocked out when the assault carrier exited Slipspace. The Covenant searched their vessel, but fortunately for the Ghost crew, they had hiding places in their quarters. They're safe," Lasky reported.

"Acknowledged, Captain. We'll keep our scanners active," Chief said.

"Thank you. If you do encounter the carrier, do not hesitate to contact _Infinity_. We will arrive as soon as we possibly can," Lasky said.

"Yes sir," the Chief said just as the channel closed.

"Cortana, notify the entire crew," he said then.

"Already done, John," Cortana said.

Chief shook his head, but didn't say anything.

* * *

Back on Yavin, Sabine was sitting with Ezra in his base quarters.

"It's going to be a long time for the Ghost to be repaired completely. You can imagine how upset Hera is," Sabine said.

"So we're grounded from any missions until it's done?" Ezra asked.

Sabine nodded. She couldn't forget how close they were to being found. Just the smallest sound would've given them all away.

"Ezra…" she started.

He looked at Sabine's scared face. She was still slightly shaking from fear.

"What if we hadn't hidden ourselves?" she asked.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Captain Laskey made it clear to us to avoid these guys and I don't intend on ignoring it," he replied.

Sabine looked up to Ezra and saw the same fear in his eyes that she had in hers. They didn't want to know what these _Covenant_ wanted to do next.

* * *

"What? The Covenant is there, too?" the UNSC leaders exclaimed. It had been a couple days since the _Infinity_ established almost immediate communications with their home, all thanks to the rebellion's help.

"I'm afraid so, sir. One of our contacts has reported a Covenant CAS-class assault carrier within this galaxy. I don't think there's any more ships here, though, which is the only good news here," Lasky said.

Of course the responses would take about a minute, which was painful, but better than waiting days.

"That's as good of news we're going to receive I presume… Very well. Proceed with caution, Captain. We grant you command of _Infinity_ through detached duty. You are free to operate free of the chain of command, considering the spotty communication. We trust in your judgment," the Admiral said before the channel was closed. Lasky stood, frozen in surprise. Detached duty was something the UNSC never does, but it also made perfect sense since they are pretty far away. It was amazing how their comms could even reach them. **(Plot reasons. Too complicated to explain and/or fix)**

"All hands, keep our Slipspace drive spinning. We jump as soon as we get any other sightings of the super carrier. Keep all our frigates ready to depart. As soon as we exit Slipspace, we will deploy them," Lasky said through an open intercom channel.

"I need all station leaders to report their current status," he added.

Pretty soon, the XO walked up to him.

"Sir, all stations report ready," he said.

"Good. Now, we wait," Lasky said.

* * *

 **I didn't have an author's note at the end of the previous chapter, but I am aware that things have been rushed and I have been trying to fix all the prewritten chapters (all 4 of them) without changing the story too much. Also, the situation where Infinity would normally contact primary government for help... well I would have to rewrite the entire story then, and that's something I'm not able to do. It's... complicated.**

 **But anyway I hope this chapter was better, and all future chapters as well. Feel free to point out anything I may have messed up on. If I am able to, I will PM you to discuss the matter.**

 **Also (To save me some time with fixing this problem) the Admiral speaking to Thrawn in this chapter was supposed to be THE Konstantine in the SWR show, but let's just say, considering he should be dead during this story, that it's a different admiral with a similar name.**


	3. Taken

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"Ezra, what's going on over there?" Hera asked.

Ezra and Sabine were sent out on a supply run and they had orders to remain under radio silence unless the Empire was after them. The Ghost was still under repairs, but there was only an estimated week left for repairs. They weren't really supposed to be away from Yavin, but they were the best choice for this mission. Everything was going well... until this happened.

"We're aborting mission!" he yelled, panic in his voice. He was shouting through the comms from his command chair of the CR90 corvette.

"Why? What's going on?" Hera asked again.

Suddenly, communications were knocked out and Hera turned to the comms officer.

"Get him back," she ordered

"I'm trying!" he said.

* * *

Ezra looked up and saw a huge purple starship looming ahead of them. It just appeared out of nowhere again, but thankfully a lot farther from them than their first encounter. It had been nearly a month since that time.

"Ezra! What's going on?" Sabine said, running into the bridge. She gasped when she saw the Covenant warship ahead of them, full broadside.

"Ezra, get us out of here now!" she said.

"The carrier is blocking our path!" he replied.

Sabine paled slightly, their first encounter flashing before her very eyes. "Ezra… choose a different hyperspace route if you have to!"

"Helm, get us out of here!" he yelled.

"I can't! I've lost helm control!"

"Comms send a distress beacon to _Infinity_!" Ezra ordered.

"Beacon deployed."

Suddenly, the helmsman called out, "Sir, I have helm control! Shields have been restored!"

"Turn us around! We have to leave NOW!" Ezra said.

Suddenly, there were some flashes seen and shudders felt all throughout the corvette.

"Sir, our shields have dropped to 25%! Whatever that was we can't take another hit like that!" the engineer said from his station.

"Nav, do we have an opening?" Sabine asked.

"Almost there, Commander! Just a few more…" he didn't get to finish. There were more shudders, and a lot more flashes and his console exploded.

"Sir, we have lost engine power!" the helmsman reported. "Navigation is gone! We're not going anywhere!"

There was a sound of the hull being penetrated, metal being twisted. A boarding ship was breaking open the airlock.

"All hands to combat stations!" Ezra ordered. The CR90 had no hiding places so they had no choice but to fight. He pushed a button on his seat's comm section and began talking.

" _Infinity_ this is Commander Bridger; we are under attack by Covenant forces! We have lost all engine power and we can't hide. They are boarding us right now!"

* * *

"Captain!" the comms officer screamed.

"What is it?" Lasky asked.

"You're going to have to listen to this!" the officer said as he transferred the transmission to the entire ship.

" _Infinity_ this is Commander Bridger; we are under attack by Covenant forces! We have lost all engine power and we can't hide. They are boarding us right now!"

"Nav!" Lasky said.

"I've got a distress beacon! Initiating Slipspace!" the Nav officer said.

Lasky pressed a button on his console, "All hands battle stations. We're going in!"

Almost immediately his console lit up with the replies of every station.

"All stations report ready, Captain," the XO reported.

"Slipspace in 3… 2… 1…" the Nav officer counted down to the entire ship. A slipspace rupture appeared in front of the _Infinity_ and they entered the blue.

* * *

"Commander! We can't kill the big guys! They're too strong!" a security officer called through the comms.

"I'm on my way!" Ezra said, but he was stopped by Sabine.

"Ezra don't!" she pleaded. "You'll die!"

"Sabine, those are our men fighting them. I can't just leave them!" he said.

"Tell them to fall back. Keep them away from the bridge!" she replied.

"Sabine, I won't just stand here and do nothing about it!" Ezra shouted.

"You promised me! Ezra PLEASE!" Sabine pleaded. "I… I…"

Ezra's expression softened, but his mind was set. "I'm sorry, Sabine."

He wrestled out of Sabine's grip and ran out of the cockpit, his lightsaber in hand.

Sabine stood there for a few brief moments then sighed, "Then I'm not letting you fight them alone!"

* * *

The Covenant Elite soldier shot another human and continued down the hallway. Every shot he received took down a good portion of his shields, but that didn't bother him. Yes, they were an almost equally advanced species of human, but they didn't have any personal defenses.

The Elite stopped walking when he saw a human wearing all orange step around the corner, holding something in his hands. He fired a few shots at the boy and saw a flash of green absorb his shots.

"Interesting. So they do have energy swords here," the Elite said, amused. He slung his carbine over his shoulder and pulled out his own energy sword.

Ezra stood in one place, seeing the huge creature pull out the most interesting lightsaber he's ever seen. The huge creature jumped to Ezra and attempted to stab him, but he sidestepped and cut down the Covenant invader. He stepped back, amazed at how easy it was to strike it down.

All the surviving defenders had a major moral boost when they saw what had happened. They held their ground when a bunch of smaller Covenant troops charged them… Or more like run around with their hands in the air. Those little guys were easier to take down.

Sabine turned the corner to see the dead Covenant invader at Ezra's feet as he continued deflecting or absorbing the invader's shots. She, too, began firing at them and took out a few smaller guys.

Pretty soon, they couldn't see why the UNSC warned them to stay away until they saw a whole mess of the bigger guys.

One of them charged Ezra, trying the same thing the first Elite did, but resulted the same way. The third Elite slashed at Ezra this time, forcing him to parry the blade.

' _At least my lightsaber can block theirs'_ he thought to himself. These guys were not only massive in size, but were also as strong as they looked. He was literally being pushed back with every blow.

Ezra tried his best to defend, but the Covenant invader threw him into a wall and would've impaled him if it wasn't for Sabine. She kept firing at the Covenant invader and his shields ran out of power. Before he could react to his downed shield, he took a blaster bolt to the face, killing him instantly. The rest of the Elites stopped their advance long enough for Sabine to recover her dazed friend.

"Ezra, stay with me!" she said, gently slapping his face. He was struggling to stay awake.

"I probably should have listened…" he said quietly. They could hear more of their soldiers being cut down by the slowly advancing Covenant forces.

"We should abandon the ship while we can… Get you to a doctor…" Sabine said.

"Sabine, don't worry… Just… get… out of… _here_ …" he passed out at the last word. Sabine began to panic.

"Ezra… Ezra, stay with me!" she said. A Covenant Elite turned the corner and walked in Sabine's direction. She started firing at him, keeping him back while she dragged Ezra to an escape pod.

By the time she got him strapped in, he was awake again.

"Sabine…" he started, but was interrupted by a quick kiss.

"Shut up Ezra, I'm getting us out of here," she said.

But before she could close the door, somebody pulled her out of the pod. Sabine smashed the door controls and the door closed. Seconds later, the pod was ejected out of its bay. Ezra began struggling against the straps, but in his dazed state, he couldn't do much. Instead, he just passed out again.

Sabine struggled against the Covenant's grip, trying to break free. She saw the Covenant invader move to impale her with his sword, but his arm was caught by another Elite.

"Don't. She might be able to tell us where we are! Haven't you thought of that BEFORE killing everybody here?" the Elite said, speaking perfect English, much to Sabine's surprise.

The Covenant holding Sabine growled in return, "We can search their computers! There's no point in keeping these vermin alive!"

"We should keep her alive for now. Once we learn everything we need to know, then we will dispose of her," the second Elite said.

"Fine!" the first said, dropping Sabine, who began coughing.

"Sorry about that… My friend doesn't know when to stop killing," the Elite said, kneeling down to Sabine.

She stared at him, terrified. "Y-you… s-s-speak…"

The Elite nodded, "I do at least. Not all of us."

Sabine tried to back away, but she was grabbed again and lifted onto his shoulders. She passed out from fear then, not knowing what they would do to her.

* * *

Ezra watched in horror as his ship was blown up by the Covenant warship. He saw what he recalled as a Slipspace rupture appear in front of the carrier… but at the same time saw a second one appear. The _Infinity_ exited the second rupture just as the front of the carrier disappeared in the first. _Infinity_ began firing on the assault carrier, but it was too late.

What seemed like an eternity later, Ezra was in the _Infinity_ 's medical bay and Lasky was speaking to the lead medic.

"He's stable, but very shaken up, sir," the medic reported. Lasky nodded and walked over to him.

"Ezra…" he began. "I heard about your friend from other survivors we picked up from a few other pods. I'm so sorry."

"Why couldn't you get here sooner!" Ezra snapped.

"I'm sorry, we jumped as soon as we got your signal. Slipspace isn't an instantaneous form of space travel," Lasky said. "Chances are, if they took your friend alive, they need her for something. Likely to find out where they are and what everything is like here."

"We have to save her!" Ezra yelled.

"I understand that, but we can't assault a ship like that without being detected!" Lasky said.

"I've done it before!" Ezra shot back.

"Maybe to the Empire, but this is not the empire you're thinking of!" Lasky said. He then changed his tone. "However I do understand you managed to kill a few Elites. If you hadn't held them off, you wouldn't have seen us come in."

"Elites? You mean those…" Ezra started.

"Yes, those big guys. It's never been easy for normal people like you and me to take them out. The Grunts however, those smaller guys, have always been a lot easier," Lasky said.

"What's the easiest way to kill an Elite?" Ezra asked.

"Explosives, but if there's not enough of those at hand, then a Spartan is your best bet. That or a highly trained ODST," Lasky answered.

"Where are the ODSTs? I haven't seen any of them since I was brought aboard," Ezra asked.

"We sent them to the nearest Imperial planet with the least amount of security that we could find. They're watching to see what the Empire does that your holonet doesn't show us," Lasky answered. It was supposed to be classified, but he knew Ezra wasn't going to take no as an answer. "We'd still like to get in contact with them, if they don't try to kill us first."

"That's not a good idea..." Ezra said.

"I'm afraid there's no other choice. We need to speak with government leaders anyway."

"I suppose you're right," Ezra said after a few moments. He didn't like to admit it, but the Empire was better suited to help the UNSC.

Lasky reluctantly changed the subject back to Sabine, "You really care for your friend, don't you?"

Ezra choked up a bit, but Laskey took that as a yes.

"The Covenant never only operates in space. Chances are, they'll find a suitable planet and establish a temporary base there. If anything they'll also keep Sabine there, allowing ODST and Spartan troops to go in," Lasky said, remembering the tactics and protocols they've learned from their Covenant allies.

"Something you should know," he continued. This particular ship is a remnant of the old Covenant Empire. This isn't their primary government. Nevertheless they still wouldn't operate without some sort of base of operations."

Ezra still didn't move, but quietly asked one thing, "If you do find her… Will you let me fight with you?"

"It will be dangerous, but if your people are ok with it, I will let you fight with us."

"Thank you," Ezra said. He still didn't move, but he was assured his part in saving Sabine.

* * *

Sabine opened her eyes only to find herself in an unfamiliar place, but she understood where she was.

A door opened and an Elite walked in.

"Sabine… Wren, am I right?" he asked.

"Who's asking?" she asked defiantly.

"Look, I understand how you are scared, and we are transferring you to a planet where we have established a base. We only want to know where we are and how we can get back to our home," the Elite said.

"So you decide to destroy an entire ship full of people instead of asking for help?" she spat.

"You're alive for only one reason, and that's to give us information we need. Do not waste that privilege," the Elite said.

Sabine recognized this one as the same one who almost killed her. She tried to act as brave as possible, but her fear still shown in her eyes.

"So ask me here and let me go!" she said.

"We'll ask you at our base, but we will not let you leave alive," the Elite replied.

Sabine's fear only tripled then, but she still didn't let it show "Why do you want to kill me so bad?"

"You are human, and we are against humanity," the Elite said.

That moment, she knew she wouldn't likely get out of this alive.

"Fighting is futile. Stalling is equally futile," the Elite said. "Lie to us, and you will die."

"I'm as good as dead right now anyway," Sabine said, sadly. She looked down and the Elite left her alone in her cell. As soon as he left, Sabine let tears fall from her eyes. She thought of Ezra and her family, both adopted and biological. She mostly thought of Ezra and silently pleaded for him to save her.

"Ezra… where are you when I need you?" she murmured, unknown to her that her cell is being monitored by the very Elite that saved her life for the time being.

However, this particular Elite was different than the others. He wasn't fighting with these Covenant because he believed in their cause, but because he was monitoring them.

* * *

"No! Absolutely not!" Hera exclaimed. She was honored to have the Captain of the UNSC _Infinity_ standing on Yavin ground, but was infuriated to hear that Ezra wanted to be a part of Sabine's rescue mission.

"Hera, I will not stand by and let these men die for one of _our_ own!" Ezra snapped. Under normal circumstances, he would've been demoted on the spot, but these were not normal circumstances by 2 hundred parsecs.

"I know how you feel, but you've seen what this Covenant is capable of!" Hera turned to Lasky then. "I won't let you take him with you."

"Hera!" Ezra yelled.

"Ezra, I forbid you from fighting the Covenant with these men! It's not that I don't trust them, it's that I don't want to lose another important person in this rebellion!" Hera said.

"I WILL NOT LEAVE SABINE TO DIE!" Ezra yelled. "I REFUSE TO SIT IDLY BY WHILE THEY KILL ONE OF OUR OWN!"

"Ezra Bridger! You are relieved of duty as Commander of the Rebellion!" Hera said.

Ezra froze, all his anger melting at the sound of what he believed as abandoning Sabine to die.

"General," Lasky began.

"Lasky, I know what you are going to say, and it's in favor of Ezra. My orders stand clear; Ezra will not partake in this mission," Hera said. "We're not ready to fight this enemy."

"Ezra has a point, Hera," Zeb said. "Why should these men die for one of our own without us fighting with them?"

"Zeb, don't you dare…" Hera began.

"Oh I do dare," Zeb growled. "Doing this makes you no better than the Empire."

"Relieving Ezra of duty as a Commander isn't throwing me lower than the Empire," Hera said.

"No," Lasky began. "But demoting and preventing him from trying to do what he believes is the right thing to do is still not right."

Hera stared at him in disbelief.

"This might not be something you believe in here, but back home, my Marines never leave a soldier behind. Dead or alive. If Ezra wants to do this, let him. If he dies, you only prove yourself right, but think of when he lives. You're supposed to be fighting for those who can't, and right now Sabine can't fight and you're just abandoning her to die, just like what Ezra said! Your orders contradict what you believe in! They contradict the very thing you are fighting for!"

"You said _when_ ," Hera said, completely surprised at the Captain's outburst.

"I did and I mean it. I'm not sending him alone, or with only normal Marines. He will be fighting with ODSTs and Spartans. The best of the best," Lasky said. "Ezra even killed a couple Elites. That's not an easy thing to do for us unless a Spartan is involved."

"I still won't do it…" Hera said, but she knew she was losing this fight.

Ezra spoke up, his voice low, "There's nothing you can do to stop me, Hera. I'm sorry, but if the Rebellion refuses to rescue one of their own and leave them for dead, then I'll have no part in it. I'd sooner join the Empire than be ordered by Rebel leadership to leave somebody I love to die."

Everybody stared at Ezra, completely taken off guard at his words.

"Ezra, you don't…" Hera began, but Ezra interrupted her.

"Don't say I don't mean it when I do!"

Everybody was at a loss for words. They knew Ezra was willing to do anything he could to save Sabine. _Anything_. Even turn his back on the very thing that was like family to him.

"This discussion… is over…" Hera said reluctantly.

Slowly, every single person left the room. Lasky and his Marines returned to _Infinity_ with Ezra, Zeb left to his room, all the other Rebel personnel left to continue their duties… but Hera stood, alone, in the command room; Completely torn at what just happened.

* * *

Sabine felt something big had just went down. She didn't have to be Force sensitive to feel the tension, even from halfway across the galaxy. But she couldn't worry about it; She was about to be transferred to a Covenant base for questioning, and after that… _execution._ Apparently her crime against the Covenant was just being human, or at least according to the Elite.

She sat in her cell, alone. She didn't want to die. Not yet, and not in that way. Execution is not an honorable way to die for a Mandalorian. She was alone, except for this one Elite who was kind enough to give her a real meal… sort of… and actually keep her company, though most of the time she didn't want to talk.

She just wanted to see her friends again. Her family. And most of all, she wanted to see Ezra again. She never told him she loved him, even when they were being separated.

"Hey…" the Elite said through the energy barrier.

Sabine remained silent.

"I looked through your holonet, it took a while, but I was able to make something that you should be familiar with." He set a tray down in the cell with Mandalorian food in it. The Covenant food replicators **(No idea if they really have those or what they're called)** actually allowed something like this to be made.

Sabine was still silent, and she didn't make a move for the food. The Elite frowned… or whatever they count as frowning.

"Please, eat something at least," he said.

"What's the point? Feed me just to kill me later? I'd rather not," she said bitterly.

The Elite pressed a button and the cell microphones were muted.

"Listen, I don't want to see you die. I'd much rather talk peacefully instead of keeping you here, but that would blow my cover," he said. That just about got Sabine's attention.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, the same bitter tone.

"I'm not actually with this group of Covenant. I'm undercover for my true allegiance. I've been attempting to establish a secret communication link to the UNSC and to your Rebel friends," he explained carefully, making sure nobody can hear him.

Sabine was silent, but she stood up and took the tray of food. Back in the control center, the guards were surprised to see Sabine take the tray of food, but they were trying to get their mics active again.

The Elite pressed a button and the mics were active again.

"Now eat up… we still have some ways to go before we arrive," he said, making sure Sabine knew he had reactivated the mics again.

Sabine slowly took a bite of food… and closed her eyes. It wasn't the best, but it was still good.

* * *

Ezra was sitting in the mess hall of _Infinity_ when Lasky walked up with a tray of food.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

"Please do," Ezra replied.

He sat down and began talking.

"I ordered the away team to return to _Infinity_ , and it was perfect timing. The Imperials were beginning to investigate their presence," he said. "We'll start searching for the Covenant base as soon as they arrive."

Ezra sat up a bit. "Thank you for standing up with me."

"It's not a problem. I wouldn't feel right if we kept you from this. Granted I'd rather keep you safe."

Ezra groaned, but Lasky quickly added something, "You feel this is the right choice, so I won't stop you."

"Thanks Captain," Ezra said.

"Please, call me Tom or Thomas."

"Alright… Thomas," Ezra said, testing the waters.

Just as Thomas and Ezra finished their lunch, Thomas was requested to the bridge.

When he arrived he was notified that their away team has come home.

"Sir, our away team has arrived," the ensign reported.

"Very good. Tell the squad leaders to report here now," he said.

"Yes sir," the ensign said.

Lasky turned to the front and stared out to the stars.

"This is going to be a while… hang in there, Wren," he said.

Ezra was back in his assigned quarters, deep in thought. He was thinking about Sabine.

"Hang in there, Sabine. We're coming," he said quietly. " _I'm coming_."

* * *

 **I'm sorry if everything is inaccurate or incomplete. This was a prewritten chapter and I have up to 5 chapters done, so rewriting this would force me to rewrite the entire story, which is something I don't have much time to do. I will fix whatever I can.**

 **Also, Happy New Year (2018)**


	4. Rescued

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Sabine was just trying to rest in her cell when she heard something.

" _I'm coming_ ", a voice said. It was Ezra's voice.

She looked around frantically, but she knew he wasn't there. She placed a hand up to her head and pretended to just be imagining things, though she knew she didn't imagine it.

The friendly Elite was sitting down there, keeping an eye on her. He had a broken comm box in his hands that he was fixing, but he disguised it as just a piece of metal to mess around with.

"You're awake. Did you sleep well?" he asked.

Sabine turned around and saw the Elite sitting on a bench outside her cell, working with the comm box. She knew what it really was, but kept up the act that it was just a worthless piece of metal.

"As well as any prisoner physically could," she replied.

The Elite smiled… at least what they consider as smiling.

"I suppose it's not too bad," he said. He was trying to remember the code phrases he and Sabine made up just days before. He could tell Sabine was trying to remember them, too.

"Still playing with that stupid piece of metal, huh?" she asked, making it click to the Elite that was one phrase.

"I'm getting tired of it, but it's all I can do on this ship right now," he replied, catching on. That was another phrase that meant ' _I'm almost done fixing it._ '

"Well, I guess that's better than nothing," Sabine said. "H-how close are we to your base?"

"I'm not really supposed to say, but I can tell you we're not far off now," he said it in a way that meant they didn't have much time. It wasn't a code phrase, but his tone made it clear.

Sabine nodded, sadly, and sat back down on her bench. She buried her face in her hands and felt tears well up in her eyes.

The Elite could tell she was very upset again and entered the cell. He placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"Don't be upset," he said quietly. "I'll finish messing with this sooner than you think. You will get out of this alive."

"How?" she asked.

The Elite grinned as much as an Elite could, "I'm not the only one here. I have command over a squad of Elites and they are loyal to my cause."

Sabine didn't understand very well, but she nodded anyway to get him to back off.

Pretty soon, the Elite left Sabine alone again, but she needed to be alone.

* * *

"Sir, Sierra 117 reporting for duty," the Master Chief said, saluting Lasky. Normally he didn't do that, but he respected him enough.

He and his entire Spartan unit, Blue Team, along with the ODSTs, stood at attention.

Lasky looked at every one of them and nodded, "At ease."

His soldiers relaxed.

"Let's keep this short, shall we?" he began. "One of this fine young man's people has been taken by the Covenant and we need to know where their base is. She's been missing for a week now, so we need to find her and fast."

"Sir, if I may," an ODST said.

"Go ahead, Sergeant," Lasky said.

"I've been picking up slipspace ruptures all over the galaxy with long range sensors. I believe the Covenant are trying to be as unpredictable as they can," the ODST sergeant said.

"Jumping to random locations before going back to their base," Lasky said, catching on to the sergeant's explanation.

"We've done that before to keep the Empire from finding Yavin," Ezra said. "It's effective, but costly."

"Until we can pinpoint where their base is, we need to remain on high alert," Lasky said. "Keep all long range scanners and communications open, we need to find any leads to this ship."

* * *

"Grand Admiral, I'm picking up a lot of chatter about an unknown vessel bigger than our Star Destroyers," a bridge officer reported, handing a data pad to Thrawn.

"Huh, fascinating," he said, looking over the data.

"So far, every ship that got close to it was destroyed, easily," the officer added.

"This is not Imperial design," Thrawn started. "I want to get a good look at this ship."

"But sir, we could be destroyed as well," the officer said.

"Oh I think not. We'll just look on it from a distance," Thrawn said. "I need to study this vessel and who it's crew is."

"Yes sir, I'll see what I can do," the officer said before retreating back to his station.

"Grand Admiral, are you sure about this?" Constantine asked.

"Admiral you of all people of the Empire should know better than to question your superiors," Thrawn said.

* * *

"Sir, another Slipspace rupture just on the other side of this system," a bridge officer reported. "Do we intercept?"

"Negative, track its next jump and follow it," Lasky ordered.

"Yes sir!"

The _Infinity_ jumped to slipspace just when the Covenant assault carrier jumped. They were both heading the same direction. Coincidentally enough, that jump was taking them straight to the Covenant's base on an ice planet known as Hoth.

Ezra ran onto the bridge then, "Did we find them?"

Lasky turned around, "Yes, we are following their jump coordinates now. However, they managed to get to Slipspace before we did so we are behind them.

Ezra looked down, but then right back up. "Well this could get us closer to what we're looking for."

"Exactly what I thought," Lasky said with a grin.

"Sir, I'm picking up a transmission," the Comms officer reported. "It's a Covenant Elite!"

"Trace the transmission," Lasky ordered.

"I don't think I have to, sir," the officer stated. "He's telling us exactly where to go. I've checked the charts and their jump patterns and it seems authentic."

"What are the coordinates?" Lasky asked.

The officer's eyes grew wide in surprise, "We're already heading there, sir!"

"The Covenant has started placing some of their best Elites undercover to undermine hostile Covenant operations. I believe that's one of their contacts," Cortana said.

"Whoa what's that?" Ezra asked. He's never seen an AI like Cortana… or any AI at all.

"I'm Cortana. An AI for the UNSC. From what I understand I'm the second Cortana to the Master Chief," the AI said.

"What happened to the first one?" Ezra asked.

"She's gone. AIs normally don't last very long, though she was very unique," Lasky said. "It's a long and complicated story."

A second AI appeared next to Cortana.

"I double checked the coordinates, there's no Covenant ship except for that carrier. Sure enough there's also a base on the surface," the second AI said.

"Thanks Roland. What's our ETA?" Lasky asked.

"About 10 minutes," Roland said.

"That would be enough time for them to transfer Wren to their base. We can distract the carrier while we deploy the drop pods," Lasky said.

"Would I be in the drop pods?" Ezra asked.

"No, but you will be deployed with the normal Marines by pelican," Lasky replied.

"Pelican?"

"Those huge, green, winged ships you see flying in and out of our hangars. They double as gunships and troop carriers."

"Right," Ezra said.

"We'll send down Pelicans to clear an area. You can lead the clearing team, Ezra," Lasky said.

"Why me?" he asked.

"This is your friend we're rescuing, and you are a Commander."

Ezra reluctantly gave a small, but determined, nod.

"I've read your combat record, too. You are pretty good at breaking into things without blowing the doors to smithereens," Lasky said, almost laughing.

"That what you guys do?" Ezra asked.

"We usually place explosives on the doors, if we don't have an AI to open them, and you can guess the rest," Laskey said.

"Sounds like Sabine," Ezra said with a sad smile.

"6 minutes until we reach our destination. I estimate the Covenant have just exited slipspace and have begun prisoner transfer," Roland said.

"Give us a 10 second countdown from our arrival," Lasky ordered.

"Yes sir," Roland responded.

* * *

Sabine was being led down the hallways into a hangar bay, escorted by her friendly Elite, but also by a unit of hostile Elites. She was thrown into some sort of gunship by the look of it.

"Welcome aboard a Phantom," the friendly Elite said to Sabine. She didn't answer, or even nod.

The pilot flew the ship to the surface of the icy planet and straight to a structure which Sabine guessed was their temporary base. As soon as the ship "Landed", she was taken inside of the base and straight to a prison cell, similar to the one on the super carrier. Only this time, she was cuffed to the wall. All the Elites, except for her friend, left while they waited for their leader to arrive.

"I finished playing with the scrap metal. It's been sent away," the Elite said.

Sabine's eyes filled with tears a little bit, half grateful, half terrified. Nevertheless, she nodded at what he said.

"I'll delay the interrogation for as long as I can. After that, there's nothing I can do," he added quietly before walking away.

The door to the detention level was shut and Sabine started to let some tears fall. This could be the last time she could see anybody friendly.

* * *

"Grand Admiral, we have detected something in the Hoth system. Shall we set a course?" Constantine said.

Thrawn looked up from his studies, amused that Constantine actually did something right for once.

"Yes," he replied calmly. "If it's the Rebels, then we'll have to leave them alone. But if it's that strange ship, this will be interesting."

"Leave the rebels alone?" Constantine asked, completely surprised. "But Grand Admiral, we should crush them while we can!"

"Do not question me, Constantine. I have plans for these rebels," Thrawn replied, slightly annoyed. "Jump the fleet to the Hoth system at once, Admiral."

This admiral the Empire assigned to Thrawn's fleet reminded him too much of the old Konstantine; The same one whose arrogance cost him not only his life, but their chance at destroying the Rebellion.

"As you wish, _Grand Admiral_ ," Constantine said.

Not long afterwards, the 7th fleet was in hyperspace, course set for the Hoth system.

* * *

Sabine was being tortured, beyond belief. The pain was worse than anything the Empire could do. Another thing she didn't understand; was why they were treating this like capturing a spy.

"Tell us where in the universe we are, human!" the interrogator demanded. This guy was as big as the Elites, but hairier and reminded Sabine a little of the Wookies.

"I would if I could!" Sabine spat out, defiantly, just to get another jolt of electricity. They had injected her with something that tripled the pain. Even worse, whatever they injected into her, was also a major conductor of electricity. That was something the Empire didn't have.

"Why do you resist to help us?" the hairy behemoth asked.

Sabine took a breath to try to say something, but he didn't give her time to speak. Her screams filled the entire base, and even made the loyalists cringe. The undercover Elites had it worse though. This was something they've seen before and never wanted to hear again.

Suddenly, the warning sirens began blaring throughout the base, stopping the torture and everything else.

"Atriox, sir! Slipspace rupture on our port!"

* * *

"10… 9… 8… 7… 6…" Roland was counting down the _Infinity_ 's arrival to the Hoth system. "3… 2… 1! Exiting Slipspace!"

A slipspace rupture appeared just portside of the Covenant carrier. They barely had time to maneuver out of the way when the Infinity came barreling towards them. Their shields connected, and both ships were thrown off course, but that didn't matter to the UNSC.

"Strident-class heavy frigates are green for launch. All combat wings green for launch. Alpha and Beta wings, defend our Pelicans! All other combat wings, you know the drill!" Lasky ordered throughout the ship's intercoms.

"You ready, Commander?" a Marine asked Ezra.

He just stared blankly at the soldier. "As ready as you are."

"Well great, cause I'm not ready for this at all!" another soldier said.

Ezra shook his head. _"These guys are not trying to act brave at all!"_ He thought to himself.

The Pelicans flew down to the surface, but Ezra looked back to the UNSC fleet and saw a massive firefight between the two massive ships. But he also saw ten smaller ships, which confused Ezra a little bit.

"Where'd those smaller ships come from?" he asked the Marines.

They grinned, "Just another thing the _Infinity_ can do. That UNSC supercarrier can hold up to 10 Strident-class heavy frigates!"

"FRIGATES?" Ezra asked, amazed.

"That's what you get with a 5-kilometer-long starship," a Marine said.

"Super Star Destroyers are bigger than that but they don't carry normal Star Destroyers!" Ezra exclaimed.

"Because we thought of it first," the Marines said.

They seemed calm now, more like a soldier should be in a combat situation.

"Alright boys, we've got touchdown in 3… 2… 1… NOW!" the pilot said. The guns started firing for a few seconds, then the doors opened, letting Ezra and his clearance team out into the open.

Considering this was an icy planet, they were dressed for the occasion; Winter combat gear for everybody there.

Luckily for them and the Marines, there was only one Elite waiting for them, who charged them and took out only one Marine before Ezra jumped on its back and stabbed it with his lightsaber.

The rest of the Covenant troops in the landing zone were Grunts, so the Marines did their job and took them out, which was easy considering they just ran around in circles waving their hands above their heads.

"Why do they do that?" Ezra asked, annoyed.

"Because they've got nothing better to do!" a Marine sergeant answered.

"Infinity this is clearance team 1. We have a clearing for you. Still a bunch of Grunts, but we're holding them back!" a radioman called through his comms.

"Copy that, Deploying ODST and Spartan units. Standby!" an officer replied.

About a minute later, there were some orange dots above their heads. There was chatter on their comms then.

"Clearance team, take cover. Orbital contact in 3… 2… 1…!"

Just then, a bunch of pods hit the ground, hard enough to break Ezra's legs if he was in them. The doors shot open and the ODSTs jumped out of their pods and began firing on the Covenant Grunts.

"Spartan pods cleared reentry. Stand by!"

More pods hit the ground, a lot harder than the others, only something was different with these ones. The other drop pods had air brakes to slow their descent, but the ones that just landed didn't have them. Just when Ezra was about to ask, a bunch of airbrake remains peppered the ground around them. Those doors shot open then and a bunch of ODSTs came out… or at least, Ezra thought they were more ODSTs.

Some Elites appeared on the field and some of the bigger UNSC soldiers ran up to meet them.

"Is that was the ODSTs do?" Ezra asked.

"You mean the guys running towards the Elites? No way in hell, those are the Spartans!" a marine called back.

Ezra heard some more chatter through his comms.

"ODSTs, keep any reinforcements from reaching the building's entrance. Spartan teams, and Commander Bridger, you are cleared for breach," Laskey said over the comms.

Ezra followed a bunch of Spartans into the buildings while the ODSTs took care of the enemy troops outside.

"Cortana, do you know where our target is?" the Spartan Ezra knew as John-117 asked his AI.

There was a bit of silence before he pointed down a hallway. "This way!"

He ran down the hallway and after a few stops and turns, as well as firefights, the Chief stopped in front of a door.

"Form a perimeter," he ordered. "Bridger, can you get that door open?"

"I can try," Ezra said. He tried to cut through the door with his lightsaber, but a shield appeared just as he began cutting. The sudden appearance of the shield broke the lightsaber's blade, causing it to shut down for a while. "There's a shield, I can't cut through."

Some Covenant troops turned a corner and began firing on the UNSC troops.

"Ezra, there's a chip on the back of my helmet. Take it out and plug it into the terminal!" Chief ordered.

Ezra found the chip and pulled it out, but hesitated to plug it in.

"What is it?" he asked.

"No time, just plug it in!"

Ezra plugged the chip into the terminal and a blue AI appeared.

"Next time, kid, don't hesitate!" Cortana said.

"Sorry, I've never seen any of this before…" he replied.

"Can't blame you… shield is down, but I can't do more. Pull the chip and give it back to the Chief!" Cortana said.

Ezra did as he was told and after he returned the chip into the Chief's helmet, began cutting through the doors again. There was an Ezra size hole in the door and he pulled it out.

"Everybody DUCK!" he called out. The Spartan and the ODSTs all dropped to the ground as Ezra threw the piece of the door at the Covenant, killing most of the Grunts and an Elite instantly.

He jumped into the room and saw something he didn't expect to see: Sabine chained to a wall, seemingly unconscious.

"Sabine!" Ezra called, running up to her. He cut the restraints and she fell first to her knees, then would've fallen to the ground had Ezra not caught her.

"Sabine! Wake up!" Ezra said, tears welling up in his eyes.

Sabine began coughing, and opened her eyes.

"E-Ezra?" she asked.

"I'm here, Sabine. I'm going to get you out of here."

Sabine smiled weakly. She had obviously been through so much pain. Ezra helped her out of the room then, supporting her.

"Keep me covered," he called out to the Spartans.

"I'll go up ahead and clear out the halls!" Chief said, his voice steely calm. Some Covenant Elites turned a corner, but they didn't fire.

"Master Chief, over here!" one said.

"Thel 'Vadam?" Chief asked.

"It's been a while, Chief. There's an exit with minimal security just down here. Follow me," the Arbiter said.

"Ezra… I…" Sabine began, but Ezra interrupted her.

"Save your strength, Sabine. We're getting you out of here," he said.

"But…" Sabine tried to say, but she was losing consciousness.

"Sabine, stay with me!" Ezra said, lightly tapping her face.

They managed to get her back to the Pelican and medical officers immediately began treating her for anything the Covenant did.

Ezra held Sabine's hand the entire trip back to space. The battle up there was still going on, but a slipspace rupture appeared before the Covenant carrier, allowing it to get away.

"UNSC _Infinity_ , this is the rescue team. Are we clear to dock?" the Pelican pilot asked.

"Affirmative, rescue team, however combat landing protocols are in effect," the flight commander said.

"Copy that," the pilot said.

Sabine tried to stay awake, but everything was getting dark for her. The Covenant drained her energy, and she couldn't stay awake. But Ezra kept her awake and so did the medics. They kept injecting her with something to keep her awake and Ezra just kept tapping her face.

"Come on Sabine…" he pleaded. "Stay awake."

"I… I can't… too tired…" she murmured.

"Sabine, don't stop fighting. We need you to stay awake, alright?" a medic said.

 **(If I had a dollar for every time I said 'awake' in this chapter)**

"I'm… trying…" she replied, her voice fading.

"Hang on tight, people. This is going to be a rough landing," the pilot said through the intercom.

There were a lot of bumps and screeching as the Pelican slid through the hangar. The sudden jolts were enough to keep Sabine conscious for a good while. Eventually the Pelican stopped moving, and the doors opened. The medics immediately got Sabine to the medical bay, Ezra by her side the entire way.

About an hour of tests later, Sabine was finally able to rest. The doctor entered the room and Ezra stood up.

"Before you ask me anything, I already know," the doctor said, holding up his hand. "She hasn't suffered any major physical or psychological injuries. However, the Covenant used a formula to increase the sensitivity to the pain receptors on her nerves, so she felt pain three times worse than normal. The effects have worn off pretty quick. She'll be sore for a bit, but she'll be just fine. Right now she just needs rest."

Ezra stood in silence for a few moments. "Can I stay here? Until she wakes up?"

"Of course. The captain has granted you permission to stay as long as you see fit," the doctor said. "And medically speaking, I see no reason why you can't."

"Thanks doc," Ezra said, shaking his hand.

* * *

"Sir, we've picked up another ship that just entered the system," the Ensign said.

"Let's see it," Lasky said.

Roland pulled up an image of a starship, a few kilometers off their starboard side.

"Captain," the AI, Roland, started. "I'm picking up multiple ships entering the system. If I had to guess, I'd say it's an Imperial fleet."

"Alert all stations. It seems we can't run from this any longer. Keep weapons hot, but do not fire unless I say otherwise," Lasky said. "Keep the Slipspace Drive spinning. I want it ready if we need a quick escape."

"Yes sir," Roland said.

"The lead ship is attempting to contact us," the comms officer said.

"Open a channel. Visual and audio," Lasky ordered.

"Right away sir."

* * *

A blue image of an unknown person appeared on Thrawn's holotable.

"This is Captain Thomas Lasky. To whom am I speaking?" the man asked.

"I am Grand Admiral Thrawn of the Imperial Navy. I have been sent to investigate many matters that seem to be caused by you," Thrawn replied.

"I believe you are mistaken. My people and I are not from this galaxy and are trying to find a way home. And if I may ask, what are these matters you speak of?" Lasky asked.

"Many ships have been attacked and destroyed by a large ship. I see your ship is… impressively large," Thrawn said.

"Indeed she is, but I assure you, my crew and I haven't done any such acts against any ship… except for the one you might really be looking for," Lasky said.

"I am aware that your ship is not connected to these attacks, now. I have seen images of the vessel I seek. I believe you have information that we could use against it?" Thrawn said.

"I'm sorry, but from where I come from that information is classified. I strongly urge you to not engage that spacecraft however. Let us deal with it," Lasky said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you and another unknown vessel wreak havoc across my galaxy without our say," Thrawn replied, his voice cold as ice.

"Believe me when I tell you, and I say this by firsthand experience," Lasky began. "Your ships could take out this one, but you would need a bigger fleet than that. As for your ground forces, you can't beat them any easier."

"And what makes you so sure?" Thrawn asked.

"My own men can barely take them down," Lasky said.

"Maybe that's because you seem to use a lot of ballistic weaponry and they energy weapons," Thrawn said.

"You've never seen what the Covenant can do," Lasky warned.

"Is that what they're called? And who exactly would you be?" Thrawn asked. He was really starting to get on Lasky's nerves.

"Captain Thomas Lasky of the UNSC starship _Infinity."_

"U-N-S-C," Thrawn repeated.

"United Nations Space Command," Lasky said.

"Fascinating, truly. But I must warn you now, Captain, that you are not permitted to continue your conflict with this _Covenant_ in this galaxy without our part in it," Thrawn said.

"I understand, Grand Admiral," Laskey said.

"Sir, I have the bioscans for the crew and there's two people on board you are familiar with," and officer whispered into Thrawn's ear.

"I appreciate your report. I shall ask them," he said.

The officer saluted the Grand Admiral and returned to his post.

"I've just been notified you have two wanted criminals of the Empire aboard your ship. Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren," Thrawn said.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about," Lasky said, but not very convincingly.

"I order you to surrender them to the Empire, immediately."

"I'm sorry, Admiral, but my people and I have promised not to be involved in your conflict in any way. That means, as long as they or any of your people are on board my ship, they are under my protection," Lasky said.

"I'm warning you not to make an enemy of the Empire," Thrawn growled.

"We are neutral in your conflict. I don't wish to make enemies of anybody here. We're taking all the help we can get whether it's from the Empire, or the Rebellion. You must understand that," Lasky explained.

Thrawn took a moment to think, but finally agreed. "Alright, but under no means must you use that as an excuse to transport them anywhere of Imperial value."

"We wouldn't dream of it. Now, if you'll please excuse us, we should be leaving now," Lasky said.

"Until we meet again, Captain," Thrawn said.

Lasky nodded and the channel was closed.

"Should we track them, Grand Admiral?" an officer asked.

"No, we should uphold our temporary truce. Set a course for Coruscant; I wish to speak to the Emperor about his personally."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Lasky watched the Imperial fleet jump to hyperspace and he turned to his AI.

"Are they tracking us?"

"Negative sir, no foreign objects detected anywhere. They seem to trust us for now," Roland said.

"Yeah, _for now_." Lasky was quiet for a few moments. "We should contact Command and see what ships they can send to us. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Sir, once they arrive they'll be just as stranded as we are," Roland said.

"I understand, but if these Imperials turn hostile towards us, we won't last very long against a battle fleet. Besides, if we managed to find a way in, then we can also find a way out."

"Understood, Captain. I'll establish communications immediately."

* * *

 **I hope this chapter was alright, considering this was one of the 5 prewritten chapters of this story. Feel free to give me your thoughts and what I could do better with in the story.**


	5. Rebel Encounter

**Chapter 5**

* * *

 _Infinity_ appeared from Slipspace at the Yavin system. They were personally delivering the two rebels back to their home, but what they found was surprising. Ahead of them, there was a fleet of ships, all shown to be of military use.

"Captain, they are trying to contact us," Roland said.

"Send them through," Lasky replied. A green Twi'lek appeared on the screen.

"General Syndulla, I hope you are still not upset from our previous disagreement?"

"Why are you here? Did you finish the mission already?" she asked.

"Indeed we have. Were you going to help us?" Lasky asked.

"We were just about to jump when we saw your slipspace rupture. What happened?" she asked then.

"We're only here to drop off two of your people. Lieutenant Commander Ezra Bridger, and I believe Commander Sabine Wren," he said.

"I've thought about Ezra's demotion, and decided it wasn't just. He's still a Commander," Hera said.

"As you wish. I'd like to inform you that they are both alright. Sabine needs some rest as the Covenant… at least these remnants of the old Covenant, treated her as a prisoner of war," Lasky said.

"How do they treat their prisoners?" Hera asked.

"Electric shocks, all sorts of chemicals and burns: Plasma more likely. Fortunately for her they decided to use what we call the Living Hell," Lasky explained

"How is that a 'fortunate' thing?" Hera asked.

"Least physical and psychological damage. A serum is injected to increase the sensitivity to pain receptors to three times the normal sensitivity. Any electric shock felt, three times worse than normal."

"Electric shocks are a very common interrogation tool used by the Empire, but the injected substance is new," Hera said. "Where are they?"

"They as in, Ezra and Sabine?" Lasky asked, just to be clear.

"Yes, where are those two?" Hera asked.

"In medical. I've already placed a transfer order for one of our Pelicans to deliver your people to your base. My team will be with them."

"Why don't we take it from here?"

"Because we had an encounter with a familiar figure to you," Lasky said, a bit uneasy. "Does Thrawn sound familiar?"

"Yes we've encountered him before. He almost killed all of us at our last base before this one. He's a brilliant strategist, do not underestimate him," Hera said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Lasky said. "A Pelican has been deployed. I have also ordered a few of my Broadsword interceptors to provide escort."

"I'll send a squad of X-wings to help," Hera said.

The Pelican landed on the surface of Yavin 4, right in the primary landing area. All the X-wings and Broadswords broke formation and began heading back to their ships. The Rebels on the ground stared at the strange looking ships. They were even more confused when they saw the soldiers escorting Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren to Rebel security teams.

"Hey! Are you the guys who captured Commander Wren?" a voice called.

The UNSC soldiers turned to see a group of very angry Rebel soldiers.

"If we were the ones that captured her, we wouldn't be returning her now would we?" the UNSC squad leader shot back.

"Perhaps you don't know who you're talking to!" the Rebel growled. "We're Rebel special forces."

"And we're not, I get that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lieutenant Rory, that's enough!" an old looking man yelled.

"Sorry, sir. It's just these men..."

"Are friendly! Leave them alone!"

"Yes sir, sorry sir!"

The Rebel SpecForce walked away, grumbling.

"Sorry about that. He's always had a short fuse. I'm Captain Rex, it's a pleasure to meet with you."

"The honor is mine. I'm Colonel Jackson of the UNSC Marine Corp. We were only dropping off your two rebels," the UNSC squad leader said.

"Are you staying or... I suppose you have orders to return to your ship, don't you?" Rex asked.

"Unfortunately, we do. We don't want to attract the Empire to this system," Jackson said.

"I also suppose you're all neutral in all this?"

"Indeed we are. We can't help you guys in any way unless the Covenant is involved. If the Covenant was to attack the Empire, we'd still move to help," Jackson replied.

"I suppose that's alright," Rex said, though he didn't like the sound of it. "I shouldn't keep your pilot waiting any longer. See you around, Colonel."

"Likewise, Captain."

The Marines boarded the Pelican and returned to the _Infinity_.

* * *

Later that night, the Rebel SpecForce team was plotting a way to get back at the UNSC, still believing they were the ones that captured their Commander.

"We can do it guys. We're the Special Forces of the Rebellion for crying out loud. We're trained for this sort of thing!" Rory said.

"But you heard the Captain today! He said these guys are friendly!" a SpecForce sergeant said.

"Kix, listen. I don't buy that one bit and you know it. I don't like the look of those guys at all. My gut tells me we go for it," Rory said.

Kix thought for a moment, then nodded confidently. "You're right. We can do this."

"That's my team! Alright, the guards change shifts at 1100 hours. Security is the lightest after that time until the morning shift. We can slip past the guards and get into our ship undetected. As for takeoff, we can just say it's a highly classified mission," Rory explained. "Didi, did you place that tracker?"

"Yes sir," the female SF marksman said.

"Good," Rory said as he picked up his gear bag. "It's 1059, we should get moving."

The 6 team Special Forces unit snuck their way to the hangars and, as expected, the security was light, so they could get to their UT-60D U-wing in Bay 5.  
As soon as the team was settled in their seats, Rory started up the engines and immediately received an incoming transmission.

"Attention pilot, you are not authorized to liftoff."

"This is Lieutenant Rory, my team and I are on a highly classified mission. It's so urgent, we can't wait for authorization."

"I'm sorry, but no mission, no matter how urgent, cannot skip authorization unless I am informed otherwise by high command."

"Too bad, cause this one is," Rory said as he flew the U-wing out of the hangars and into space.

The entire base was alerted to the unauthorized launch, and soon, multiple X-wing fighters were launched to intercept the rogue SpecForce ship. Unfortunately, by the time the X-wings were scrambled and in space, the U-wing was already in hyperspace.

* * *

 **Couple hours later**

Something hit the _Infinity_ but there's no telling what it was. Scans didn't show a ship or any objects nearby, but there was a hull breach on level 5 on the starboard side.

"I need repair teams dispatched to level 5 immediately!" Lasky ordered as he sent the area code to the repair teams.

"All nearby repair teams are on their way, Captain," Roland said. Suddenly, Roland began to flicker slightly.

"Roland?" Lasky asked.

A disturbed Roland looked up, "I'm picking up intruders on the affected level... Our repair teams are down, power levels are failing."

Lasky activated the intercoms, "All hands, lockdown all stations. We have intruders on level 5, dispatch security teams."

The entire ship lit up red from the security lights, but the alarms stayed relatively quiet.

* * *

"They're onto us, Rory," Kix said.

"Shouldn't be a problem. Let's just make our way to the bridge," Rory said.

Him and his team began hacking into the system to find the bridge's location, and they got close to finding it before something locked them out.

"I'm locked out of the system, but I have a general idea where it is," Keith said. He was the team's technical officer.

"Lead the way."

The RSF team slowly made their way to the bridge on _Infinity_ , much to everyone's surprise. Every security team they came across was taken down by concentrated blaster fire.

Lasky initially didn't want to send the ODSTs or Spartans after the invaders, who they now have identified by security cameras, and a communication signal received from Rebel command, as a rogue Rebel SpecForce unit, but he was running out of the usual Marines. Before he could send his ODSTs to intercept the invaders, there was a sound coming from the doors. A couple ODSTs were standing guard at the locked door when it was blown open, killing them almost immediately. The remaining security forces and ODSTs took cover and pointed their weapons at the open door as the rogue unit ran through, weapons firing.

Many Marines fell to the blaster fire, and a few ODSTs were wounded, but after they patched up their wounds, they kept holding the invaders back.

"These guys are different!" Kix called out to his squad leader.

"You can say that again!" Rory said as he poked around the corner, just to get thrown into a wall by an armored green hand.

A deep, gravelly voice yelled at everybody to hold their fire, and both UNSC and rogue Rebel forces held their fire. The rogue team, turned to see Rory pinned against the wall by a very tall, green armored man. Some other very tall armored soldiers ran through the gap in the door, and one panicked rebel fired at on of them... but it didn't seem to faze the soldier. Instead, the grey-armored soldier threw that particular rebel to the floor and held a gun to his head.

"Kelly, you alright?" the taller, green-armored man asked.

"Never better, Chief. These weapons have a pretty decent kick to them," Kelly said as she kicked the A280 blaster rifle away from the rebel, just as the others dropped theirs.

"You can say that again," a third soldier, identified as S-058 from the numbers on her armor.

"Who are you guys?" Rory asked.

"They're Spartans. They're the special forces of our special forces," Lasky said.

"What does that mean?" Kix asked.

"The best of the best," Lasky replied. "Now, if I may begin to ask, why are you doing this?"

"You took our commander from us. We're only trying to show you that you can't mess with us!" Rory said, defiantly.

"We never took your commander in the first place," Chief said.

"I don't buy it," Kix said.

"You killed many of my men. All to prove a point?" Lasky asked.

The rebels stayed silent. Lasky turned to the comms officer then. "Send a signal to the Rebellion. Tell them we've apprehended their rogue unit."

"Yes sir."

Chief looked over to S-058, "You good, Linda?"

"All good. All too easy if you ask me," she replied.

"Yeah, too easy," Spartan 104 said, disappointment heard in his voice.

"Fred, it's good that this was easy for us," Kelly scolded. She turned to Lasky, "Sorry we couldn't have gotten here sooner."

* * *

A little while later, a Rebel battle fleet consisting of eight GR-75s, two MC-80s (Liberty-class), four CR-90s, and two Nebulon-Bs appeared from hyperspace in front of the 5 kilometer long UNSC _Infinity_. A shuttle was allowed to board the _Infinity_ , under one condition: they had to be under UNSC escort. No armed rebel officers were allowed at that time. Ezra and Sabine were the only ones who could join Hera.

Hera walked into the bridge of the _Infinity_ to meet Lasky about the matter.

"Captain Lasky, I sincerely apologize for this incident. Rebel leadership had no intention of attacking you," she said.

Lasky held up his hand to silence Hera. He was flanked by the famous Spartan Blue team; John-117, Kelly-087, Linda-058, and Frederic-104.

"I understand this unit in particular defied orders?" he asked.

"Yes. They never had clearance of any kind to even board their ship," Hera replied.

"What kind of ship is it exactly? I don't recall seeing it in any records," Roland asked.

"It's a modified UT-60 U-wing starfighter. It usually doubles as a fighter and troop transport, and this one in particular was specially modified for Special Operations: Advanced hyperdrive, cloaking device, heavy weapons, better shields... pretty much better everything," Sabine said.

"You're not going to turn your guns on us are you?" Ezra asked.

"No of course not. I understand their confusion, but this never should have happened," Lasky said. "If it weren't for Blue team and some ODSTs, I may not even be here."

"My condolences on your fallen soldiers, Captain. I assure you this will never happen again," Hera said.

"If it does, I'll send my ODSTs or Spartans after them, under orders to kill and not restrain," Lasky said, obviously not too happy about the whole thing. Repair crews were replacing the broken bridge doors and all sorts of damage the invaders did.

Chief turned to his team and looked them up and down, inspecting their armor. Linda took notice and rolled her eyes.

"John, we're fine. Our shields held up."

Kelly and Fred tensed, hearing Linda call the Chief by his name which was something he wasn't used to.

"Linda, you know he doesn't..." Fred began.

"It's fine," Chief said, turning back to the Rebel leadership. He noticed Ezra staring at him.

"I remember you," Ezra said, but received a smack in the shoulder by Sabine.

"Don't be rude!" she hissed.

"It's alright, I remember all of you very clearly. Though it hasn't even been two days since our assault. Which reminds me..." He pulled out a chip from the back of his helmet and plugged it into a terminal. "Cortana?"

"We have identified this rogue group of former Covenant as one of the Banished ships," Cortana said. "Our friends from our Covenant allies have given us all the details they've learned from their time with them."

"That's very good. Where are they now?" Lasky asked.

"They're resting for now. I don't think they even woke up to our alerts."

"Well we didn't exactly have our sirens blaring so it makes sense," Fred-104 said.

"Very true," Lasky said.

"Well, we should get these guys back to Yavin. We can handle everything from here," Hera said.

"Understood, General. To be clear, there's no hard feelings," Lasky said.

"Thank you, Captain. It was an honor to see you again, but unfortunate it was by these terms."

"Indeed. Perhaps..." Lasky began but perimeter scans went wild.

"Captain, we're picking up Imperial signatures off our starboard side!" Roland said.

"How many?"

"I believe it's the same amount as the last time. We're really cutting it close again," Roland answered.

"All hands, stay alert. We're not done just yet," Lasky said. He turned to the Spartan Blue team. "Be ready to deploy in case things go bad."

"Yes sir," Chief said. He led his team out of the bridge and the ODSTs escorted Hera and her people to the hangars.

* * *

"Grand Admiral, we have opened a channel. You're on, sir," a Comms officer said.

"Acknowledged. This is Grand Admiral Thrawn. Our scanners have picked up an unusually large amount of ships in this area. State your business."

He noticed the Rebel fleet then. "May I ask why you are with the Rebel fleet, Captain Lasky?"

"I'm afraid I can't share the details, but I assure you, it's not what it looks like," Lasky said through the comms.

"Don't you remember my warning? And did you forget what you told me?" Thrawn asked.

"Of course I didn't. I keep records of any conversation I may have with everybody. I was only... returning a loose prisoner that found his way into my ship," Lasky explained. It was partially true.

"All prisoners should be sent to the Empire. We don't give second chances as you may already know by now," Thrawn said.

"I understand, but these are Rebel prisoners. Even if you two are at war, you should respect their views on justice," Lasky said.

"Raise the shields, commander," Thrawn said quietly before turning his attention back to the _Infinity_. "We won't tolerate any support for the Rebellion."

"We aren't giving any information about anything to them except for that Covenant carrier. We will gladly share any new information about it with you as well," Lasky said.

"That won't be necessary, Captain. We already have every fleet in the galaxy on alert for that ship. The might of the Empire will crush them whether it's in space or on the ground," Thrawn replied, coldly.

"I don't doubt it..." Lasky said.

The Rebel ships finally jumped away and the nav officer reported their jump coordinates.

"I should be going now. We'll see you around, Captain." The channel was closed as 7th fleet jumped after the Rebels.

* * *

Lasky managed to contact the Rebel fleet and tell them the Empire was following them.

"Don't worry about it. We manually pulled out of Hyperspace when we were outside sensor range," Hera said. "We'll be headed back to base. See you around, Captain."

Lasky chuckled as the communication was closed. "Open a channel to the rest of the ship."

Roland obeyed and he nodded to Lasky. "This is Captain Thomas Lasky. All hands stand down. We're in the clear."

* * *

 **I hope this chapter was alright with you guys. Imperial, Rebel, and UNSC protocols could have been different than what I had, but again this was mostly prewritten. Feel free to send your opinion, just don't be vulgar in them.**


	6. Confession and Imperial Treachery

**Chapter 6**

* * *

The rebels appeared from hyperspace in the Yavin system, and everybody began to relax as they landed back on the surface. Sabine was trying to talk to Ezra in the common room on the Ghost, but he was distracted, and Sabine knew why.

"Ezra," she said calmly, but let a slightly annoyed tone slip.

"Sorry... I..." he began, but Sabine didn't need to hear what he had to say. She already knew.

"Don't even start, I know what you're going to say," she said. "You have to stop thinking about the UNSC, Ezra. We have a war against the Empire, remember?"

"I know, but... I just..." he stammered. He then sighed, "I think I want to join the ODST."

Sabine's eyes widened and her jaw dropped a bit in surprise. "Ezra... You... You can't be serious!"

"I don't know, Sabine. The rebellion wanted me to sit back while you were being tortured by the Covenant. The UNSC explained it was my choice to either fight or stay, and I chose to fight. To me, it sounded like the Rebellion was abandoning you, Sabine. I don't see that with the UNSC," he explained.

Anger grew inside Sabine, but was mostly covered with fear. "Ezra, you have to stay here with us. We need you with us. I..." she caught herself before she could finish, but decided to just finish her sentence. "I need you here... with me."

Ezra looked down at his feet. "You're just saying that to get me to stay. You don't really mean it."

Sabine looked hurt, "You're wrong. I'm not just saying it to get you to stay. I'm saying it because... because I mean it."

Ezra looked up, surprised.

"Please, Ezra..." she murmured as she pressed her forehead to his chest.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Sabine. But I want to do this," he said. "I don't want anything to happen to you. I don't want you to get hurt."

Sabine choked up, " _Ezra... please._ If you leave... I-I don't..." Her anger flared slightly as she lifted her head off his chest to look back at him. "I don't want to lose you!"

"Sabine, you won't lose me," Ezra tried to explain, but Sabine interrupted him.

"If you leave then I would lose you! Think for a moment, Bridger! When we came home from Hoth, the Rebel fleet was prepping for lightspeed to assist in my rescue!" she exclaimed.

Ezra just stared at her silently, and she took that silence as a chance to continue.

"Hera realized her error in the end, didn't she? It hurt her to stay off the mission as much as it hurt you!" Her voice was about to break, but she managed to keep it stable for the moment.

That got through to Ezra. Sabine had a point; Hera was going to help in the end along with the rest of the Rebel looked to the holo table, which was showing the HoloNet on recent news of Covenant attacks and UNSC Spartan and ODST sightings, though everybody that saw it, did not know who they were exactly, but instead were told they were just more rebels. He looked back at Sabine, who had a small trace of tears in her eyes. She never cried for anything before. He had an expression on his face that showed his thoughts were at war between leaving the Rebels to join the UNSC for the time they were in this galaxy, or staying with the Rebels the entire time.

He knew Sabine took note of his expression, and her bottom lip was trembling slightly, as were her hands. He could sense her fear of losing him.

"Kriff, I don't know," he sighed. "I don't want to hurt you, but..."

"Ezra..." she said, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Please..." She took his hand and laid her head back on his chest, letting a couple tears fall onto his shirt.

Ezra's heart just about shattered at the sight. Sabine never really cried; Tearing up was one thing, but actually letting tears fall was something Mandalorians never did. Though it was enough for Ezra to make up his mind.

"Alright... I'll stay," he said, gently squeezing her hand.

She looked up at him. "Really?" she asked, excitement building in her voice. Ezra could see the light flash in her eyes.

"If you really want me to, then yes."

Sabine threw her arms around Ezra's neck and pulled herself up to him for a kiss, which really took him by surprise. They've never confessed their feelings to each other, but from all that's happened it was clear to them that they felt the same thing for each other.

* * *

 ***Meanwhile on the UNSC _Infinity_ ***

"Captain on deck," the first officer said, bringing all the bridge staff to attention.

"At ease," Lasky said. All the bridge staff returned to their duties. "Roland, status report."

The orange, World War 2 pilot AI appeared on the table. "Same old stuff right now. Imperial propaganda, all sorts of clips of Covenant sightings and... apparently civilians interested in our Spartans and ODSTs."

Lasky groaned, "We don't want to attract attention. We know the Empire is keeping us a secret from their people as best as they can, but there's always going to be rumors. There's bound to be people searching for answers to prove those rumors right or wrong."

"Initial scans and the information the Empire and the Rebel Alliance passed to us states this galaxy is, for the most part, human. Granted there's billions of other species here, but primary governments for the past millennia have been controlled by humans," Roland said.

"Okay at least we're finally taking time to actually study and research this galaxy instead of mucking around and getting in fights... speaking of which, have any of our away teams encountered the CAS-class carrier yet?" Lasky asked.

"So far negative. Still deciding if that's fortunate, or unfortunate," Roland said.

"Alright. Keep long range scanners active and keep our comms open. We need to find any leads to that ship before they decide to glass a city," Lasky said, though he knew it was very unlikely these Covenant would even think of glassing a random city.

"Do you know how Bridger and Wren are doing, sir?" a marine asked. This was the same guy that first brought them to Lasky and he grew fond of the two teens.

"Last I heard there's been tension within the Rebellion. Beyond that, I don't really know how they're doing, but it seems Hera Syndulla wasn't like the stern commander she is now. Our presence really has impacted this galaxy," Lasky replied.

The marine nodded, "Alright. I'm sure they can take good care of themselves. If you'll excuse me, Captain, my security shift is starting."

"You're excused, sergeant."

The marine sergeant left the bridge to check into the hangars for his guard shift. Lasky turned back to the map of the galaxy, keeping tabs on friendly deployments, and also Rebel and Imperial movements. So far they knew where the famous 7th Fleet is, and they already knew where the entire Rebellion are so it's almost pointless to keep tabs. However it did help keep track of any outgoing rebel ships. They wouldn't interfere with any encounters they get with the Empire, but they would monitor comms and see if there's any mention of the Covenant ship. By the Empire's laws, and even their own back home, what they are doing is highly illegal.

Things have been seriously quiet during the weeks after their first military operation in this unknown galaxy, and despite all the data and information they've received, they still know next to nothing about the inhabitants. On the other hand, they don't want to be known by the civilians here, especially considering that there's many powerful gangs, pirates, and other dangerous criminals loose in the galaxy. The more notorious the _Infinity_ becomes, the more danger everybody could be in. It's best to stay as anonymous as possible to avoid any unnecessary confrontations or incidents.

Lasky silently thanked the Covenant for those active camos they "gave" them all those years ago, but right now only the Spartan units could use them. ODSTs could potentially use them if they wanted to, or more accurately needed to. Since they're just marines with better training, they know they're way around without the camoflauge. In a way it was ironic; Thanking an alien government for almost wiping humanity out of existence, but in the process gave them access to all their technology and eventually became close allies.

He turned to a monitor and watched a first person view of the most respected soldier in human history: Master Chief John-117. It looked like he was prone on a sand dune, watching some sort of exchange take place between a human and some sort of other creature. Lasky pressed a button to get in contact with Cortana.

"Cortana, this is Lasky. I see you are watching some sort of exchange?"

"Something like that. Everything was going well until we found these guys. They've been here for hours. I can patch you in to Chief's comms," she replied.

"Go right ahead."

"Lasky, whoever these guys are, they don't look friendly," John said.

"How can you tell?" Lasky asked.

"Bio Scans read multiple wounds and scars, and there's more armed beings inside the ships. I'm guessing smugglers or pirates, also a potential gang," Cortana said.

* * *

John didn't like that Lasky could see everything he was doing, and everybody in Blue team knew it. Linda-058 knew that pretty well, as did Kelly-087. They both turned to each other when the Chief began speaking randomly, but they soon realized Lasky must have been in contact with him.

Fred turned to Kelly, "What's he talking about?"

"Lasky must be in contact with him. Must be a scrambled transmission for better security," she replied.

"I don't think they can find our frequency," Fred said.

"You never know. There have been rumors of our presence here and it's only a matter of time before the civs find out the truth," Linda said. "Now, can we get back to the mission?"

"Right. Just going to do the same thing we've been doing since we got here," Fred complained.

"Knock it off," Chief said. "We're waiting until these guys leave. Until then, we sit and wait."

"Sounds kind of redundant," Fred muttered under his breath.

Linda and Kelly crawled down the steep sand dune and set up camp at the base of the dune. Fred and John maintained surveillance until the camp was finished. Kelly waved over to Fred, who slapped John's shoulder, signalling the camp was done. Before sliding down the sand dune, the Master Chief ordered the _Strident_ -class heavy frigate that brought them to this planet to keep monitoring the unknown contacts.

* * *

Hera was walking around the base on Yavin, looking for Ezra and Sabine. She hasn't seen them all day and is growing worried. She managed to find Wedge, who knew Ezra almost better than anybody.

"Wedge, do you know where Ezra and Sabine are?" she asked.

"No, but I think they're in the Ghost quarters," he said.

Hera looked over to the Ghost, "That's the one place I haven't checked. Thanks Wedge."

She walked away before he could respond. She boarded the Ghost and began calling for the teens.

"Ezra? Sabine? Are any of you in here?" she called out.

She climbed the ladder to the living quarters and knocked on Ezra's door. No response. She turned around and knocked on Sabine's door and heard a quiet yelp.

"Sabine? You in there?" Hera asked.

She heard some stumbling and some things falling from a shelf or a desk. Sabine's voice came over the intercom.

"Hey Hera... I uh... Wha-what do you need?" she asked.

Hera began to grow a little suspicious. "I was just looking for you and Ezra. I haven't seen you two all day. Is he in there with you?"

"I uh... Yeah, about that..." Sabine said.

"Sabine, what were you two doing?" Hera asked.

"Not what you're thinking... but uh..." There was a small pause. "One moment."

About a minute later, the door opened, revealing two very red teens.

Hera glared at them and crossed her arms. "What were you two doing?"

"We didn't go as far as you think, but we can explain," Ezra said.

Hera raised an eyebrow as both Ezra and Sabine took turns explaining everything from the beginning; Their conversation earlier that morning, Ezra's idea to leave the Alliance and join the UNSC, Sabine's confession, everything. By the time they were finished, Hera didn't seem so angry anymore.

"I understand why you wanted to leave us and join the UNSC, Ezra," Hera began, but Sabine interrupted.

"I explained to him that you saw the error in your orders..." she said.

Instead of getting mad, Hera only nodded in agreement. "That I did. We really were about to jump to lightspeed after we heard reports of some sort of battle above Hoth."

"So um... are you mad about our... uh... relationship?" Sabine asked Hera, placing a hand over Ezra's and looking at him.

Hera sighed, "No, if anything I'm really happy for you two. But you have to be careful with this. Don't go too far too fast."

Both Sabine and Ezra blushed, "I... We weren't..."

"I know you weren't. Also, as an apology," Hera continued, "I'll allow you to work with the UNSC whenever they need you."

"Really?" Ezra asked, excited.

Hera nodded. Ezra felt Sabine squeeze his hand and he turned to her. He saw a worried expression on her face.

"What about Sabine?" he asked then.

Hera sighed, "If she wants to, she can join you as well."

Sabine's eyes lit up and she had an excited grin on her face. Hera left as the two teens thanked her, and before Ezra could say anything to Sabine, she tackled him back onto the bed.

* * *

The _Chimaera_ appeared at the edge of Mandalorian space, waiting for a monthly rendezvous from Governor Saxon. Thrawn was in his quarters, studying the art from the Rebels, and comparing it to the UNSC ship designs. He's been trying to predict the UNSCs movements since their last encounter with them. So far, with the very little information about the UNSC, he was actually struggling to come up with anything. As for the Covenant ship, that's another story; The Empire has data all about the enemy ship and the kind of crew on board, so he could easily catch a glimpse of their sort of artwork and figure out their strategy.

There was a voice heard through the comms from Thrawn's desk and he pressed his index finger to a button to hear the message.

"Grand Admiral, there's a ship approaching from Mandalore. I'm guessing our _friend_ has arrived," Constantine said.

"Excellent. As soon as he is on board send him to my quarters," Thrawn said, his voice cold as ice.

Moments later, there was a chime at his door.

"You may enter," Thrawn said and the door opened, revealing the newest governor of Mandalore. He was from Clan Saxon, which has still survived after its two leaders were killed by the Rebels. "I assume you are the newest, and third Saxon governor?"

The Mandalorian nodded, "Yes sir."

"It's a shame to hear that both Gar Saxon and his brother were defeated by the same Mandalorian," Thrawn said.

"We won't give up. We will finish what we have started," Saxon said.

"I admire your willingness to fight against your people. I require assistance with finding this ship," Thrawn said as he showed the Mando a holographic image of the Covenant warship. "Not only that, but I believe the Rebels have been working with the people of _this_ vessel." He pushed another button and the UNSC warship appeared. "They are human, but they are not of this galaxy."

"Not of this galaxy? Do they have the technology to travel to other galaxies?" Saxon asked, his eyes growing wide.

"No, I don't believe they do. It seems they have found a spatial anomaly back in their galaxy that sent them here. The only objective I am aware of is searching our galaxy for the same spatial anomaly to return home," Thrawn said.

"What does the Emperor want us to do with them?" Saxon asked.

"Their captain is obviously operating his ship free from the chain of command, which means they don't have communications back to their home. If they do, then it wouldn't be reliable. For now, the Emperor wants us to monitor them, see what they're up to. Eventually, however, we won't let them return to their home," Thrawn said with a cold grin.

"And what do you want me to do?"

Thrawn looked over to the Mandalorian, "I want you to take your men and find this UNSC starship. Track it for us if you will."

"I don't believe my ships can watch them without being detected," the Mandalorian said.

"Don't you worry, I have a special ship for you and your men to use. I believe you will find it very useful in this situation."

* * *

 ***Days later***

"Captain Lasky, I just picked up a hyperspace signature just on the other side of the system!" the nav officer exclaimed.

"Who is it?" he asked.

"I..." There was a confused pause. "I don't know... it vanished."

"Vanished? Are you sure whoever they were didn't just jump to lightspeed again?" Lasky asked.

"There's no outbound HP signature," the officer said. They dubbed Hyperspace as HP to make it easier to communicate.

Lasky pondered the report for a moment. "Keep all system-wide scanners active, but don't activate primary armaments."

"And our shields?"

"Charge the shields at 20% efficiency. For all we know it could be nothing out there," Lasky said, but he had a bad feeling about something. "Primary engines half speed. Keep our frigates docked; We might have to jump at some point."

After a few moments of silence, Lasky turned back to the weapons officer. "On second thought, keep our weapons warm enough to fire at a short range. Keep all defensive armaments hot."

"Yes sir!"

Hours passed and nothing happened. Lasky was about to call for all stations to stand down, but an ODST stopped him.

"Sir," the ODST said.

"What is it?" Lasky asked.

There was silence as the ODST stared out into space. Suddenly, he snapped his head around. "We need to leave."

"What?" Lasky asked, surprised.

"We're being watched."

"How do you know?"

"Something's out there..." the elite soldier said as he began tapping into the scanners.

"What are you doing, soldier?" Lasky asked.

"I'm recalibrating the frequency of our scanners... If the data is correct..."

"What are you talking about?"

"There!" the soldier pointed to a monitor where there was indeed a ship, following them at a distance of an estimated 10 kilometers, their speed matching theirs.

"Roland, what is that?" Lasky asked as the orange AI appeared.

"I don't know exactly, sir. But what everybody can guess, is that's a stealth craft."

"Can you disable their cloaking device without triggering alarm?"

"I don't think so, but I can try. I just need to hack into their system..." A few moments passed. "Alright, their cloak should be down."

There was a bunch of sparks for a minute, but Roland soon contained it. "Uh... nevermind, that wasn't it. Sorry, sir, I don't think there's anything I can do."

"That's alright, you tried your best," Lasky said.

Suddenly, the nav console was going crazy. Beeps and alarms going off indicating multiple HP signatures heading their way. The nav officer looked to Lasky, "Sir, multiple HP signatures inbound bearing 2-3-0!"

Lasky turned to the viewscreen just as multiple Star Destroyers entered the system. "Engines full stop!"

There was a loud _thoom_ heard as a massive Star Destroyer exited hyperspace, between the SD formation. The sheer size of the ship eclipsed the _Infinity_ and made it look like a mere toy.

"SHIT WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Lasky cried out.

"I believe that's a super star destroyer, Captain... It's the Empire, and they don't look happy."

* * *

 **Hey readers,**

 **Sorry for the slow updates for this story, but I've been on a roll with Unknown and LITR and almost forgot about this story. Thanks to ODST Ezra B for reminding me and I appreciate your support. I'm glad to be of service to you all.**


	7. Dreadnought Destruction

**Chapter 7**

* * *

All the alarms went off in not only Lasky's instincts, but also throughout his entire ship. The ship shook when there was another wing of TIE Fighters strafing the _Infinity_ 's shields in an attempt to throw them offline. Lasky tried to get in contact with the Imperial fleet, but they refused to answer their hails. An intelligence officer was constantly rambling about how "We never should have trusted the Empire in the first place" and all sorts of stuff like that, and eventually Lasky had him removed from the bridge. Another blast shook the ship as the XO looked over the systems.

"Sir, that blast was from that SSD! Shields dropped to 50%!" he called out.

There was a fire in Lasky's eyes. "Deploy all fighter wings and Stridents. We're returning fire."

In a matter of seconds, wing after wing of starfighters were launched into space to intercept and destroy the Imperial TIEs while the Strident-class frigates focused their fire on the nearest Star Destroyer, ultimately crippling their weapons systems and hyperdrive. Before they could finish off that ship, another Star Destroyer maneuvered to provide cover while they repaired their hyperdrive.

There was a wall of turbolaser fire from the battle fleet, but Lasky knew that wasn't all their firepower. The Empire was holding back, and that was a mistake on their part. All the Imperial-II Star Destroyers held their fire when the Strident-class heavy frigates maneuvered to dock with _Infinity_. The _Executor-class_ Super Star Destroyer continued firing all its forward batteries, effectively dropping the _Infinity_ 's shields; But that was a move anticipated by Lasky, who ordered power be rerouted to the MAC cannons.

Roland managed to hack into the Empire fleet's comms systems, so they can hear everything they say. They had poor security when it came to an AI. As soon as the MAC cannons began spinning up, there was a lot of chatter from the SSD.

 _"Captain, the enemy ship is firing at us!"_ an Imperial officer said, not realizing there's been a comms hack, but the sound of his voice made it known to everybody that he thought it was funny.

 _"Seriously? What can they hope to accomplish against a ship this size?"_

Lasky grinned, "Roland, open a hacked channel."

"With, pleasure." With a nod, Roland cued Lasky to began speaking.

"This is Captain Thomas Lasky of the UNSC _Infinity_. You have declared war on the UNSC and we order you to stand down... while you still can."

"What is the meaning of this? How did you get in contact with us?" the Imperial captain asked.

"We have our ways, but that's not important right now. I suggest you leave before anything bad happens," Lasky said, receiving a scoff from the Imperial.

"My ship is much bigger than yours," he said, "What can you hope to accomplish?"

"Let me give you a demonstration," Lasky said, nodding to the officer in charge of firing the MAC guns. Pressing a button, Lasky muted his mic. "Target the citadel, fire at will."

The lights flickered and the ship shook as the MAC guns fired, the two beams from the projectiles ultimately tearing through the Empire's shields and straight through their hull, effectively damaging major engine, weapon, and life support systems. The force of the MAC projectiles piercing the hull also shattered the projectiles, causing more damage to internal systems. They must have hit their reactor core, because a huge explosion just about tore the massive 19 kilometer ship in two; Their citadel in pieces, their Command Bridge detached from the primary structure as the massive wedge-shaped warship smashed into two more Star Destroyers, destroying them completely.

Lasky stared, dumbfounded at the sight. "What did we just shoot?"

"I believe when our MAC rounds hit the target, they broke apart effectively causing more damage to the internal systems. If my theory is correct, then one of the shards must have hit their reactor core," Roland reported, having the schematics for the MAC rounds and the Imperial Super Star Destroyer in front of him.

"That was unintentional, but it seemed to work..." Lasky said as he watched the remains of the Imperial fleet struggle to regain their formation. "We should leave while we have the chance. Did we get all that for the records?"

Roland nodded, "All from the beginning."

"Good. Spin up the Slipstream drive. We've taken enough of a beating," Lasky said as he glanced over to the damage control. There were red lines along the starboard side, from stern to aft. Some dorsal armaments were offline from direct hit from multiple bombing runs, many TIE fighters and bombers were shot down, and many of the enemy strike groups collided with either _Infinity_ or some friendly strike groups. A slipspace rupture appeared and the _Infinity_ jumped into the slipstream, just as the disorganized Imperial fleet began to reorganize themselves.

Lasky ordered Roland to activate a shipwide transmission, and after receiving a nod from the AI, he began to speak. "All hands, we are clear. Stand down. I need repair crews on all levels, starboard side, and dorsal armaments. Nav, what's our position?"

"If we drop out of slipspace now, we should be around..." the nav officer double checked the star charts and the jump coordinates, "What people here call the 'Wild Space'. Basically the middle of nowhere."

"Get us out of slipspace," Lasky ordered.

Moments later, the _Infinity_ was back in normal space and there was nothing anywhere near them. The closest civilization was about 4 parsecs away from them according to the charts.

Lasky watched the scanners for anything and 10 minutes after leaving slipspace, everything was still quiet. He turned to the comms officer.

"Comm, send a scrambled transmission to the Rebellion."

"Our communications array has been damaged, Captain."

Lasky cursed as he looked back out into the void. Then we go to them. Roland, is there any chance the Empire placed a tracker on the ship?"

Roland looked over to Lasky, "Negative, sir. No foreign devices detected. Any TIE parts that collided with us were disintegrated when we entered slipspace."

"Was that 7th Fleet?" he asked then.

Roland checked the records. "Negative, that was not 7th fleet."

"Then it's no wonder we are alive. I've seen recordings of Thrawn's battles; He's won battles where the odds were definitely against him," Lasky said.

"Then it's a good thing we specialize in overwhelming odds," Roland said with a smirk.

"I suppose you're right... Comm, is there a way to send a message to Central Command for military support?"

"I can try, sir. It would take a couple months for the message to reach them at best."

"Do it. Ask them to send whatever they're willing," Lasky ordered.

"I'll make sure to add a situation report if you want me to, sir."

Lasky nodded, "Go right ahead. Nav, set a course for Yavin 4." He nodded to Roland and he returned the nod.

"All hands, prep for slipspace!" Roland said through the internal comm systems.

* * *

Everything used to be quiet inside the Rebel Command Center on Yavin, until rumors appeared about a super star destroyer being torn apart by a single ship blast, which was unheard of. Rebel officers and soldiers were running everywhere, engineers were making sure the fighters and other ships were fully refueled, the entire Rebel leadership was also a bit uneasy. Things only got more tense when they picked up an anomaly in orbit, then a massive ship. After they realized it was the UNSC _Infinity_ , they relaxed a bit. Before they could even establish contact with the _Infinity_ , however, there were Broadswords and Pelicans landing on their grounds. UNSC Marines and ODSTs were marching out of their ships and walked up to the approaching Rebel security teams. The security teams knelt behind crates and aimed their weapons at the advancing Marines; Both sides having orders not to fire until fired upon.

One of the Marines turned around and called, "All clear, Captain. All contacts friendly."

"I know, Master Sergeant," Lasky said as he walked out of one of the Pelicans. He looked over to the confused rebel security teams and held up his hands in surrender. "I need to speak with Rebel leadership."

The rebel soldiers cautiously stood up, their weapons still trained on the UNSC forces. Fortunately, there was a familiar voice calling out to them.

"All hands stand down!" Sabine Wren ordered. She was standing not too far away, wearing her armor as usual. Ezra was standing next to her, just as focused, wearing his usual orange outfit. **(Seasons 3-4 Outfit)**

Sabine and Ezra ran up to Lasky, "Captain Lasky, what are you doing here?"

"We'll explain everything in the Command Center. We have to borrow your communications," he replied, hurriedly.

"Woah, calm down there, Captain," Ezra said. "Hera is in the command center. You really gave us a bit of a scare."

"I apologize for the sudden appearance," he paused a moment. "I suppose you all have already heard?"

"You mean the Super Star Destroyer being torn apart with one blast? Yeah, we've heard," Sabine said. She studied Lasky's face, "That was _Infinity,_ wasn't it?"

Lasky nodded grimly, "We didn't intend to destroy it, just disable. Unfortunately for them, one of the pieces of our MAC projectiles pierced their reactor core and it detonated."

"Do you have more ships of that class?" Ezra asked, but Sabine elbowed him in the ribs.

"Not now, Ezra," she growled.

Lasky held up a hand, "No it's alright. To answer your question, we had a sistership under construction. I don't think it's completed as of yet, but anything's possible."

"Ezra," Sabine began, "We should take them to the command center. I'm sure Hera is wondering what all of this is about."

Ezra nodded, "Right. I believe you know the way?"

Lasky nodded and Ezra and Sabine led them to the command center where Hera was waiting for them.

"Captain Lasky, I suppose there's a good reason why you're here... with your soldiers."

"Indeed. I assume you are aware that there was a super star destroyer, Executor-class to be exact, that was blown apart?" he asked.

"I am. Was that your doing?"

"It was. We were just minding our own business when we discovered an Imperial vessel trailing us. Not long after we discovered it, an Imperial fleet appeared and began attacking us for no reason. We did nothing to provoke them and we had their permission to roam the galaxy, as long as we do not interfere with Imperial operations," Lasky explained.

"Well it definitely sounds like something the Empire will do," Ezra said.

"That's exactly what the Empire does," Sabine said, catching Ezra's eye. Despite the fact the entire UNSC _Infinity_ battle fleet is active, along with many of her soldiers being grounded, she had a smile on her face when she saw his eyes. She almost seemed entranced, and Lasky took notice.

He elbowed Hera, "What's up with those two? They're usually well focused."

"One, we're at home and no mission, so they're relaxed a bit more. Two... well, she finally did it," Hera whispered.

Lasky had a confused look on his face, "Did what now?"

"Ezra has had a crush on Sabine since he joined my crew, and fairly recently Sabine found herself in the same situation. The only way for her to keep Ezra here with her, was to confess her feelings," Hera explained quietly.

"What do you mean by, 'Staying'?" he asked.

"He was going to join your ODST unit... or at least, wanted to after that incident with the Covenant," Hera said.

"Unfortunately for his wishes, he would not have been able to. The training takes years and not many people get in. As for the Spartan branch, there's no chance. He would have had to been a lot younger to begin that course, but even then there's no guarantee he would survive the augmentation. The doctor to created the Spartans, well... she's nuts. Brilliant, but nuts."

Ezra looked over to the two adults, who were talking quietly. But even then he knew what they were talking about and he looked back over to Sabine.

"We should focus..." he said, blushing lightly.

Sabine blinked and shook her head, "Yeah... Yeah, sorry."

Ezra smiled, "It's alright. No need to apologize."

"So we can finally get back to the briefing?" a Marine asked.

"Patience, Stacker," Lasky said. "We're getting to it."

"So, Lasky," Sabine began. "What kind of firepower does the _Infinity_ really have?"

"I'm afraid that's classified information. Also the less you know about _Infinity_ the better. We wouldn't want the Empire to find any weaknesses in my ship, especially since it's the only one of its kind, as far as I know."

"Captain, our message for home is on it's way. Should get there by the end of next month if not this one," a Marine said.

"Good to hear."

"Wait, message?" Hera asked.

"We're calling home for some backup. With any luck that anomaly has been stabilized and contained by the Covenant after we passed through it," Lasky said.

"I thought the Covenant we the enemy," Sabine remarked.

"Back home they aren't, but there are some groups of former Covenant mercenaries, and as for the ones in this galaxy, they have been banished from the Covenant Empire," Lasky explained. "The data we received from the anomaly hints that it would be a random drop, but still within or around this galaxy."

"How long did you say that message was going to take to reach your galaxy again?" Ezra asked.

"Best chances are end of next month. Until then, we're going on the defensive against the Empire. We do not want any more trouble than they've already caused us."

"What are you waiting for?" Hera asked.

Lasky stared at everybody. "If everything's alright with my Central Command, you can expect a UNSC battle fleet. What ships are part of it, I wouldn't know until they get here."

"But then all of you could be stranded here," Hera protested.

"If there's a way in, then there's bound to be a way out. Can't have one without the other," Lasky said.

Everybody around Sabine noticed she was thinking about Lasky's situation, trying to put all the pieces together. "So... basically, the UNSC is now at war with the Empire?"

"I'm certain of it, and it's a bad idea to fight us. We've been through so much back home, seen things even the Empire would fear. Many of our battles were against impossible odds and we still prevailed. All thanks to the Master Chief, of course," Lasky said.

"How much is a Spartan worth compared to a normal soldier?" Hera asked.

"My guess, one Spartan as skilled as the Chief and his team is worth an army's worth of soldiers," Lasky replied. "He's taken down an entire Covenant force by himself more than once. Countless underestimated him, countless have died for it. Including the Didact."

"Didact?" Ezra asked.

"Long, complicated story that's also highly classified. But I can tell you this: The Didact is a being even the Chief has had a lot of trouble with and that's saying something. A Covenant army couldn't come close to Chief's combat abilities, but even his were insignificant compared to the Didact."

"Doesn't sound like a guy we would want to meet," Sabine said.

"Fortunately, all thanks to Blue Team, he's dead," Lasky said.

"Alright, can we get back on track?" Hera asked.

"Of course," Lasky nodded.

"You said I wouldn't have been able to become ODST. Why couldn't I?" Ezra asked.

"First, you would have to come home with us and I know you wouldn't want to leave your family here," Lasky began to explain, "Secondly, the training is gruesome. I'm not doubting your abilities, but I don't think you'd fit in very well. Third, you know next to nothing about us and our culture. It would take a lifetime to learn all of it; Our history, science, medicine, everything."

Ezra looked down, a little disappointed, but he also knew Lasky had a very good point leaving little to no room for contradictions or arguments. Lasky knew he had to compromise a little, give the guy a chance to know what it's like at least.

"Tell you what, I will let you fight with us and give you only a fraction of their training."

Ezra's eyes lit up, "I would be honored." He looked down at Sabine and he knew what she wanted. "What about Sabine?"

"I suppose we could give her some experience, too."

Sabine and Ezra smiled, but that smile was soon interrupted with the perimeter scanners going nuts.

"General! We have an unknown ship that just... it just..."

Hera glanced over to Lasky, who began to contact _Infinity_. She then turned back to the officer. "Calm down, what happened?"

"One second, everything was clear. The next there was some wormhole and then a ship!"

Ezra paled slightly, as did Sabine. As a matter of fact, everybody in the room slightly paled; Everyone, that is, except for the UNSC forces.

"Lasky to _Infinity_. Don't worry about us, just intercept that ship!" he called into a communicator. "We can not let it run a bioscan on this planet!"

Roland responded and began launching the frigates and fighter wings, their coordinates set for the CAS-class assault carrier, weapons fully charged, speed ahead flank. For now the Covenant ship was outside their scanning range, and it was the _Infinity_ 's job to set up a blockade around the edge of their scanners range. Failure is not an option.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay. This was supposed to be up by last night, but I couldn't really think because I continued writing so late. I hope everything was good for this chapter, but if there were some mistakes I made, please feel free to let me know.**

 **Also, as requested by Tython055, I am planning on starting a DBZ/SWR crossover (Dragon Ball Z/Star Wars Rebels). In all honesty, I look forward to writing it. I should start writing it after Unknown Love is completed; When it will be finished, I don't know. It depends on how future chapters go.**

 **Thank you for you patience and support. May the Force be with you, always.**


	8. Friendly Surprise

**Chapter 8**

"Blockade set, Captain. What are your orders?" Roland asked through the comms.

"Don't engage until fired upon. I wouldn't want to be blamed for starting a battle here," Lasky answered.

"Yes sir!"

All the UNSC ships formed a forward firing line, but unknown to the UNSC forces, the Rebel fleet formed a secondary fire line, though they were much closer to the planet. That was known to the forces on the surface, but not in space. Not that it would matter anyways, they had more important things to deal with.

"Sir, the carrier is within firing range... but they're not doing anything," Roland reported to the ship's acting captain.

"Strange... maybe they know they're outgunned?" the XO suggested.

"No that can't be it... wait, they're hailing us!" Roland exclaimed.

"Onscreen, now!"

The comms screen sparked to life and a Covenant Elite stood in front of them.

"Greetings friends. I hear you've been needed some extra assistance?"

"Arbiter?" Roland asked.

"Indeed, AI. You should recognize my real name," the arbiter said.

"Thel 'Vadam," the XO said, relief in his voice. "It's good to see you again. But if I may ask, how did you get that ship?"

"I should explain," Thel began, "I managed to get a message through to my fleet just before making landfall at... what... Hoth is it?"

"Ah yes I remember that planet. You commed your fleet before arrival?" Roland asked.

"I did. I understood you needed more support so here we are. Some extra support while we wait for more ships. I'm afraid my people were only willing to send a small battle fleet..." Thel said just as more Slipspace ruptures appeared and the rest of the Covenant battle fleet appeared.

"I'll alert Captain Lasky," Roland said.

"Where is Lasky anyway?" Thel asked.

"He's on the moon's surface. We will gladly escort you closer to the moon," the XO said with a smile.

"Moon?"

"Oh, I suppose we should explain this now. The big red ball near us is the actual planet of Yavin. This moon behind us is Yavin 4, our temporary headquarters alongside the Rebel Alliance," Roland explained.

"Sir, it appears the Rebel fleet set up a secondary blockade around the moon," the nav officer reported.

"Do they know we're friendly?" Thel asked.

"Uh... not yet. I just sent them our 'OK' signal," Roland said.

Meanwhile on the surface, Lasky was staring up at the sky, much to the rebels confusion.

"Can I help you, sir?" a rebel officer asked Lasky.

"I'm alright, thank you. Just thinking..." he replied.

"With all due respect sir, and if I may, thinking about what?" the officer asked.

Lasky glanced over to the rebel, "Normally, back in my galaxy, an engagement between the _Infinity_ and a Covenant assault carrier would be seen from the surface of a planet, as long as the ships have an orbit around the said planet. And I'm not seeing anything."

"So you're saying we should see small flashes of light from here, sir?"

"Exactly." Lasky was silent for a few moments. "Can you re-establish communications with my ship?"

"Yes sir, right away." The rebel officer ran off to grab a comlink as Lasky turned to his own comm and began tapping it.

"This galaxy doesn't seem to like our personal comlinks..." he muttered. Yeah the comms from the Pelicans and within the rebel base could get a good connection, but it's the personal comms that keep getting fried. How and why that happens nobody really knows.

The rebel returned with a comlink, the channel frequency already set, "Here you go sir. Channel frequency is already set up so just press this button to activate it."

"Thank you," Lasky said.

"If you will excuse me, Captain, I must attend to my duties," the officer said. He tacked on a quick salute when Lasky nodded, dismissing the officer.

"That was interesting," a UNSC marine said.

The marine was tasked with always standing with Lasky for security, especially since that incident with the former rebel SF unit. Naturally there would be two marines, but the other has gone to repair his somehow jammed BR85HB battle rifle. He was doing target practice while keeping a close eye on Lasky when the rifle just quit shooting, even though the clip was half empty. Apparently one of the bullets caught a bit of the rifling in the barrel and tore it off, thus throwing the bullet up into the open end of the barrel. A fragment of another bullet was lodged into the loading system and pulling back the bolt didn't work; Just got it more stuck.

"Indeed. Very polite, I like to see that sort of thing in a soldier," Lasky said.

"Lasky to _Infinity_ , what's your status?" he said through the comlink.

"Everything is just fine, Captain," the XO replied. "Turns out that CAS-class assault carrier is friendly. It's a different ship, sir."

"Wait there's another Covenant ship? Who's the captain?" Lasky asked.

"Thel 'Vadam, sir. He said he commed his fleet just before arriving to Hoth."

"That son of a gun," the marine said. "Basically speaking we have reinforcements?"

"He's it for now, but we all know what the _Infinity_ is capable of against the Empire's fleets, and the CAS carriers are roughly the same size as _Infinity_ ," Lasky explained.

"And equally powerful?" a rebel asked.

Lasky turned to the rebel soldier behind him, "Wouldn't say equally, but it's balanced. There are weaknesses in _Infinity_ , but also weaknesses in the CAS-class assault carriers. Your ships have weaknesses and so does the Empire. No ship is without flaws."

"But what about those... whatever those big cannons are called?"

"You mean the MAC guns? We're the only ones that have them, so that's one advantage the _Infinity_ has against the Covenant ships... and Imperial. The Covenant, however have energy weapons and something called a cleansing beam, plasma lance, or, due to it's placement on the vessel, ventral beam. Basically a glassing cannon," Laksy replied.

"Glassing?"

"You don't want to know."

"That bad huh?"

Lasky nodded grimly, "Yup, that bad."

"Captain, we're being requested to _Infinity_ immediately. It's about our away team on Tatooine," a fresh Marine reported.

"Acknowledged. What's the status on your rifle?" Lasky replied.

"Totaled, sir. I'm getting a replacement once we return to _Infinity_ ," the marine replied.

"Very well," Lasky said as he turned to the Rebel officer, "We should be going. Many of my ground forces will be here until it's time to deploy if you don't mind."

"You are very much welcome here, sir, but please advise we do have our own rules and protocols to follow," the rebel said.

Lasky smiled, "I understand. Let's move."

Lasky and his security escort returned to one of the Pelicans and flew up to _Infinity_. When he arrived on the bridge, his XO immediately set the bridge to attention.

"Captain on deck!" he barked.

"At ease. What's the situation, Roland?" Lasky said and his orange-colored AI appeared.

"Blue Team has finished their scouting mission. They report little to no Imperial presence on the planet, but it is swarming with criminals. People constantly trying to pickpocket them only to have their face bashed in and others trying to start a firefight, obviously not ending too well for the hostiles," Roland said, reading off the report.

"Really? That's interesting. Where is our team now?" Lasky asked.

"They are currently within slipspace on their way back home," Roland said.

"Good. Anybody tracking them?"

"Negative. I spoke with Cortana and she had a ship-wide scan for foreign devices and there were none."

"That's good to hear. What's their ETA?" Lasky asked then.

"20 minutes, sir," Roland replied.

"Did you tell them we have friends?" Lasky asked as he looked out towards Thel's CAS-class assault carrier.

"Yup. I figured they should know to spare the confusion."

Lasky smiled, "You AIs have a good habit of doing everything beforehand."

"That's what we are programmed to do," Roland replied.

 ***20 minutes later***

"Captain, I'm picking up a slipspace rupture just off our port side, sir!" the ensign reported.

Lasky looked towards the rupture just in time to see a Strident-class heavy frigate shoot out of it, heading straight for them.

"Scan the ship, make sure there's nothing foreign on the hull," Lasky ordered.

"Scans complete, Captain. No foreign matter detected," Roland reported.

"They're hailing us, Captain," the comms officer called out from his station.

"Send them through," Lasky said, turning to the comms screen to see the Master Chief. "Chief."

"Captain. I presume you already have our returning report?" the Master Chief asked.

"I have. I understand you had some trouble with pirates, criminals, pickpockets, all that fun stuff," Lasky said, not even trying to hide a smile.

"No trouble, sir; Just annoyances," Fred said from somewhere in the background.

"Fred, we talked about this," Linda told him.

"I know, I know. But they were annoying," he said, making everybody in the background sigh, but nod in moderate agreement.

"Permission to dock, Captain?" Chief requested.

"Granted. I'd like you to meet me in the bridge after docking. You missed out on some fun earlier," Lasky said, but his smile was gone and his emphasis on 'fun' made it clear to the Spartan unit that something big went down.

"Acknowledged, Captain. 117, out."

...

"Ezra!" Sabine shouted from down the hallway.

Ezra had been running in circles around the entire base and almost ran into Sabine, who was carrying a box of explosives to the armory. If she would've dropped them... well, it's sort of self explanatory.

"Sorry!" Ezra called back, not slowing down.

Sabine set down the box and ran after him, using her new wrist gauntlets to shoot an energy rope around him, forcing him to stop. She was careful not to wrap his legs to avoid tripping him, instead aiming for his torso. The sudden pull from behind nearly threw him onto his back, but he was able to recover.

"Wha-! Sabine!" he shouted.

"You need to slow down! I nearly dropped a box of explosives," she said, angrily.

"I'm sorry, but I'm trying to stay in shape for..."

"The ODST training?" Sabine finished, her tone harsher than intended and Ezra's face fell. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. But Lasky said he will give us a portion of their training when they find the time."

"I know. I just don't want to look weak in front of them," Ezra said, not looking up to face her.

Sabine walked up to him and grabbed his hand. He gaze shifted from the floor to her eyes, "Ezra, Lasky already knows how strong you are. The ODSTs and the Spartans already know. Did you forget that operation on Hoth?"

Ezra shook his head slowly, "How could I forget? You almost died."

Sabine shook her head this time, "I didn't almost die..."

"Sabine, we heard the recordings. They know this Covenant variants interrogation tactics and prisoner treatment, especially to humans."

She shuddered at the memory, "I... didn't know you heard."

"You were just hours from execution at best... minutes at the worst," Ezra said.

"I know..." Sabine said quietly.

" _And it was my fault_ ," she heard Ezra say, making her heart almost stop.

"No, Ezra don't do that to yourself," she said urgently.

"Sabine listen, if I would have just listened to you and abandoned ship like you said to do instead of fighting... you never would have been caught," he said.

Sabine squeezed his hand, "No you listen; None of this was you."

"Sabine..."

"No!" She was almost shouting now. "Don't you dare say it was your fault again!"

Ezra fell silent.

"I can't let you do that to yourself," she said softly. "Saying that hurts me more than it hurts you."

"You don't know that," Ezra said.

"If you want to believe you caused all of this, then go ahead," Sabine said, her voice low. "Blaming yourself will hurt me more than any interrogation."

With that she ran back down the hall, back to her box of explosives, leaving Ezra standing alone in the hallway. He face fell as he, too walked back down the hallway, opposite of Sabine.

...

Sabine was sitting in a corner of her room, deep in thought. For once she couldn't paint anything. She felt like she just broke up with Ezra, though they never officially began that kind of relationship. As much as she would like to apologize to him, she didn't want to talk to anybody. She was furious that Ezra thought it was all his fault, furious that he thought he failed.

Meanwhile, Ezra was also deep in thought, sitting on his bed in his quarters. Sabine's words kept replaying through his mind nonstop. He didn't know what he could do, or what he should do. All he wanted was to protect his friends, to protect Sabine.

He was snapped out from his thoughts when he heard a chime at his door. He stood up and walked to his door and opened it.

"Commander Bridger," a marine said holding a salute. He had a couple other marines with him, four in all.

"Can I help you?" Ezra asked, not trying to be rude and hiding his frustration.

"Captain Lasky sent us to retrieve you and Commander Wren for your... training," the marine said as if he was trying to find a better word for it.

"I don't think now is a good time," Ezra said as he looked down. "Sabine and I aren't exactly on good terms right now."

"If I may ask," the soldier requested.

"She's mad at me. It's... complicated," Ezra said.

"Relationship problems?"

"It's my fault she was captured in the first place. My fault she got hurt," Ezra said.

The marines looked at each other in confusion, "Is this sort of thing normal here?"

"Not really, but I don't think anybody knows what's normal nowadays," Ezra pointed out.

The marine placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder, "Look kid, things happen but it doesn't mean it's your fault. Believe me I've had to make hard choices; Some of which I wish I could take back."

Ezra looked up to the dark tactical goggles of the Marine.

"My point is, just because something went wrong in a battle, there's no reason it could have been your fault," the marine continued.

"Unless you allowed the enemy to get you," another marine said.

"Not helping," the first marine snapped.

"Sorry, sir."

"I suppose proper introductions is in order. I'm Master Sergeant Marcus Stacker," the first marine said as he shook Ezra's hand.

"I'll go find Sabine. Where do we meet you?"

"Just outside the hangars. We have a Pelican waiting," Stacker said.

"We'll meet you there," Ezra said.

 ** _...Some time later 1st Person View: Ezra Bridger..._**

I knocked on Sabine's door, and surprisingly enough she opened it.

"What do you want?" she asked, her arms crossed. She tried to form her stern face, but her eyes betrayed her.

"Lasky wants us on _Infinity_ to start our training... If you're still up for it, I mean," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. I was so nervous it was unbelievable. I don't know why she even opened the door for me since she never does when she's mad.

Sabine sighed, but didn't say anything. It was clear she also had something else to say. "Come inside. We need to talk."

I stepped into her room and she shut the door, locking it so we couldn't be interrupted.

For things like this, she would only get more angry if somebody interrupted any kind of moment.

I pulled up a chair and sat as she did the same, facing me. I felt my pulse quicken slightly, and without realizing it I could sense her pulse did the same.

"I don't want..." we both said to each other at the same time.

"You go first," we said then.

 _This is going to be difficult._

I held out my hand, motioning for her to go first, but instead she pushed my hand down.

"No, you should go first," she said to me, barely looking at me.

I sighed and began talking without thinking, "I'm sorry about earlier. I just don't like to fail because I feel like failing... To me, failing a mission is..."

 _Dammit Bridger, where are you going with this?_

My looked to my hands and leaned forward onto my knees, supporting myself with my arms.

"Ezra..." Sabine said softly.

"You don't have to say anything, Sabine. You're right... about everything," I say.

I feel warmth on my hands and I look up to see Sabine staring right at me, her hands over mine.

"Soo... you're not going to beat yourself up for these things anymore?" she asked, a twinge of hope in her voice.

I hesitate to answer, but after a few moments I nod, "I can't make any solid promises, but I can try."

Sabine smiled at me, "I thought Jedi weren't supposed to try."

"I also thought Jedi weren't supposed to have attachments and see where Kanan went," I said, drawing a small laugh from Sabine.

"You forgot one," she said.

I didn't understand what she meant.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Sabine got up from her chair and knelt in front of me, using her arms to prop her head up from my knees.

"You have your attachments, too you know. You can't pin it all on Kanan."

My heartbeat spiked for a moment, but I had to stay focused.

I cleared my throat, "We should, um... Get to the hangar. There's a Pelican waiting for us."

Sabine stood up then and nodded, "Right behind you."

...

"Is there anything about Imperial movements or Covenant sightings?" Lasky asked Roland.

"Nothing accurate, Captain. I'm afraid we can't predict the Empire as well as the Rebellion can," the AI replied.

"Blast. We need to... actually never mind," Lasky said.

He was just about to say, _"We should tell the Empire that the second Covenant ship is friendly,"_ but he remembered they're the enemy now.

"What about our guests?" he asked then.

"They are on their way up now. Stacker didn't seem happy it took them as long is it did for them to actually show up," Roland replied.

"He doesn't like to be kept waiting, that's for sure," Lasky said as the bridge doors opened.

"Captain," a familiar, friendly voice said as she walked onto the bridge.

"Sarah, good to see you again. I hear you've been busy with the other Spartans," Lasky said.

"Ugh, you have no idea. They act like children most of the time," she said.

Lasky chuckled, "Well I assume you've been keeping up with our current situations?"

"I have, actually."

"Good, then you know what's happening. We have a couple guests from the Rebel Alliance that will be taking a portion of our ODST training. Gives them a chance to understand our tactics better so we can cooperate better," Lasky said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sarah asked.

"I'm sure it's fine. Besides, I'm rather interested in this... what is it, Jedi Order?" Lasky said.

"Actually Captain," Roland began, "The Jedi Order has been destroyed for 16 years in this galaxy. All thanks to the Empire, of course."

"What happened to it?" Lasky asked.

"I don't know exactly, but there's something on their HoloNet that says the Jedi were traitorous."

"I can ask Ezra if he knows anything," Lasky said.

"I doubt it, though his master could be better suited to answer your questions," Roland said.

"I suppose... Sarah..."

"Let me guess, I'm in charge of your ship?" she asked with a grin.

Lasky chuckled, "Took the words right out of my mouth. Think you can handle it?"

"Never doubt a Spartan, Captain. You go on ahead, I've got this," Sarah said and Lasky left the bridge to arrange a meeting with Ezra's Jedi master.


	9. UNSC Central Command

**Chapter 9**

The sight of the _UNSC Infinity_ still took the breath out of the teenage duo. It's so big you could see it from the ground, not to mention the other 5 Kilometer long Covenant assault carrier orbiting not far off their port side. As they got closer to the ships, they could see other Covenant ships surrounding the CAS assault carrier. A marine seemed to notice the look on Ezra's face and he carefully explained that those were just normal cruisers, but equally deadly as any other ship.

Sabine, being the weapon-happy Mandalorian, was anxious to get a look at the Covenant tech and ships. She was still nervous around these guys, but she was assured they were the good kind. Also the fact that Ezra was here with her comforted her. He could sense her uneasiness at the sight of the large purple ships.

"You going to be okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and gripped his arm, "As long as you're here with me, I'll be just fine."

The marine couldn't help but smile at the sight. "I see you two are very close."

"Yeah. I owe my life to him," Sabine said.

Ezra looked like he wanted to say something, but he obviously couldn't put it to words.

"Really? Looks to me you owe each other your lives," the marine said, putting the pieces together for the young Jedi.

Ezra nodded, "He's got a point."

"Ok fine," Sabine said. "We owe each other."

The group heard the radio chatter from the pilot to the flight commander of the _Infinity_.

 _"Pelican 4506, you are cleared for docking. Airspace is clear, final approach speed 55m/s. Looking good; Call the ball!"_

"Pelican 4506, acknowledged. I've got the ball," the pilot replied as he flipped a few more switches and began to slow the Pelican to the required approach speed.

A small hanger door opened and the pilot landed the Pelican in his designated landing zone. As soon as the ship was locked in place, the bay doors opened and a squad of security marines were seen waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. They snapped to attention when Ezra and Sabine walked down with their ground escort.

"Commanders," the marine sergeant greeted them.

"Good to see you again," Ezra said, shaking the marine's hand.

"The feeling is mutual. Captain Lasky had arranged a meeting with your master. He wants to understand the Jedi and what you're capable of."

"I understand. Kind of like a prime directive sort of thing?" Ezra asked.

"Exactly. However, he has given Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer command of the vessel. She's currently busy training the other Spartan units on their personal training deck, but she is aware of your visit," the marine sergeant explained as they walked out of the hangars and towards the lifts.

"So when do we begin our training?" Sabine asked.

"We can get started right away," a voice said as the lift doors opened.

"SIR!" the marines snapped to attention.

"At ease, gentlemen," the soldier said.

"Ezra Bridger, Sabine Wren, may I introduce Edward Buck. Formerly of the ODST," the sergeant said.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir," Sabine said, saluting him. Ezra bowed to the officer.

"Wait, formerly?" Ezra asked.

"Yes. I was originally one of the ODSTs before joining the Spartans," Buck replied with a smile.

"Wow," Sabine sighed.

"It wasn't easy, but I made it. If you'll come with me, we can begin."

Ezra and Sabine followed Buck into the lift and he pressed a button on the console leading to a training deck.

...

"Captain Thomas Lasky?" a voice said as the UNSC Captain walked down the boarding ramp of his Pelican. He turned and saw a man with a ponytail, wearing a mask walking up to him.

"That's me. I assume you're Ezra's Jedi master?"

"I am. Kanan Jarrus," the blind Jedi said, shaking the Captain's hand. "I've been looking forward to our meeting for a while now."

Lasky stared at him, confused, "You've been expecting me?"

"I have. Though you and your people have no connection to the Force, it still let me know you were coming... In the typically complicated way," Kanan replied.

"If you don't mind me asking," Lasky began, pausing as he waited for permission to continue.

"If you're asking about my mask, I lost my sight in a battle against a Sith; the ancient enemy of the Jedi. It's a Sith Lord that rules this galaxy currently," Kanan replied.

"So how are you walking as if you still had your sight?" Lasky asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer to that.

"The Force works in many ways through a Jedi. In this case, losing my sight brought me closer to the Force than I ever thought possible. It enables me to 'see' through the Force. It's also something my Master always taught all younglings in the Temple before the Empire."

"Fascinating," Lasky said.

Kanan led Lasky and his group to his quarters and they sat in the common room.

"Would you like something to drink?" Kanan asked.

"That would be nice... What all do you have?"

"All sorts of stuff that... now that I think about it I don't know if you'd like our drinks," Kanan chuckled.

"You should have water at least, right?" Lasky asked, obviously joking.

"Ok maybe not _all_ our drinks."

This was one of those few times in Lasky's career that he gets to be as literal as he can. Something he enjoyed doing as a kid when he got the chance.

As Lasky and Kanan talked, the UNSC captain learned a lot about the Force and how to determine who's Force sensitive and who's not just by simply keeping an eye on them and seeing how they do certain things. Kanan explained how to determine Force sensitivity by speed of reactions or movements, abilities to lift things with their minds, etc.

"So it's possible to find Force sensitive beings even without one myself?" Lasky asked, still trying to piece it together.

"If you know what you're looking for, then yes."

They talked a while longer before Lasky got a transmission from his ship. They were tracking a group of pirates in the closest solar system from Yavin.

"Pirates?" Lasky asked, looking over to Kanan for advice.

"Don't underestimate them. They're more powerful than you think."

 _"Captain, we lost the signal. We think they jumped, but we don't know where,_ " Palmer reported through the comms. " _We need you back up here ASAP!"_

"I'm on my way," Lasky said as he stood up. "I hope we can do this again sometime."

"I agree. Next time I should have something else for you to drink, or maybe you would be willing to try them out?"

"Perhaps next time. Thanks for agreeing to meet," Lasky said before turning to the door. He opened it and explained the situation to his unit and they all walked back to the Hangars where their Pelican was stored.

...

 _BLAM! BLAM!_

"You've used rifles before, right?" Buck asked the blue haired Jedi.

"Yeah but nothing like this!" Ezra yelled over the noise. He snuck a peek over to Sabine in the next station.

 _BLMA! BLAM! ... BLAM!_

Of course she got it all right. Buck took notice of that, too.

"I see you're very fond of weapons," he said.

"This is great! I've never used a slug thrower like this before!" Sabine said, standing up from her prone position.

"I'm sorry, _slugthrower_?"

"Weapons that launch ballistic rounds. We call them slug throwers," she explained.

"Where we come from," Buck began, "This is a gun. A rifle."

"What's it called?" Ezra asked.

"This is a favorite for many soldiers. The BR55 Battle Rifle. Soldiers from all branches use this rifle a lot," Buck explained.

"It sounds weird..." Ezra said.

"That's because it's not firing one bullet, but three. It's a burst fire rifle. As a matter of fact it's the standard rifle for UNSC forces."

"What about that over there?" Ezra asked pointing to an MA37 Assault Rifle.

"That's a fully automatic assault rifle; the MA5. One of the oldest models of rifle in UNSC service. In the Army it's the MA-37, but here in the Navy it's MA-5."

Buck walked over to the weapon rack again and grabbed two pistols and handed one to Ezra, and the other to Sabine.

"The M6G magnum handgun. In service for over a hundred years. 8 rounds per clip, but a very good sidearm. The Master Chief has taken out an army with this brand of handgun. Take out those targets over there," Buck said, pressing a button on the console and two targets popped up; one for each of them.

Sabine effortlessly raised the pistol and took aim at the target, but she didn't prepare for the recoil of the gun. As she pulled the trigger, the recoil from the shot tore the gun from her hand, sending it spinning madly into the air. Fortunately, Buck was quick enough to snatch the rogue pistol out of the air. To everybody's surprise he was laughing.

"I forgot to mention, this thing packs a punch."

With that he, too, aimed at a target and fired, the recoil even showing with the Spartan. There was a loud _PING!_ heard as the bullet hit the target.

"Woah..." Sabine said.

"My turn?" Ezra asked.

Buck turned to face him and he grinned, "Go for it. Keep your grip firm."

Ezra took aim at the target and fired a shot, the recoil throwing the barrel up towards the ceiling, but he kept his grip.

Sabine gawked at him and he smirked, "What? Upset you've been outdone by me?"

Sabine laughed, "I wasn't ready."

"That's a first," Ezra chuckled.

"Please like you could do better," Sabine remarked with a grin.

"I just did," he replied.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Buck said. Both Ezra and Sabine snapped to attention, which was normal for Sabine, but unnatural for Ezra.

Buck continued their training and just as they were wrapping up the last portion of it, the obstacle course, the 'stand by' alarm went off.

"What's going on?" Ezra asked.

Buck just looked up at the intercoms and the flashing lights, then back down to Ezra. "We're on stand by. Whenever that happens it usually means somebody's here or something is about to happen."

He turned to a panel and opened the door, "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Sabine asked.

"The hangars. Captain Lasky must be back. We should meet up with him," Buck replied.

...

Lasky walked into the bridge with Buck and his 'recruits' not far behind. Buck explained everything to Lasky as they walked to the bridge and he seemed pleased with their progress.

"What are you doing back so soon, sir?" Ezra asked.

"I received a transmission that we were tracking an unknown fleet in the next system nearest to us, but we seemed to have lost track of them. We're going on alert until we know that whoever they were, they aren't coming here," Lasky explained.

"Understood, sir," Buck said.

"I'll head down with the rest of the Spartans," Palmer said. "Buck, you coming?"

"Yes sir."

The two Spartans left the bridge and headed down to the Spartan's training deck.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to end your training session for today. If something happens I don't want you two on board," Lasky explained.

"We understand," Sabine said, Ezra nodding with agreement.

Lasky turned to the sergeant that brought them aboard, "Escort them to the hangars. Give them a SKT-13 shuttle and get them to the surface."

"Yes sir!" the sergeant replied with a salute. He began to lead Ezra and Sabine down to the hangars.

...

 _"UNSC shuttle, this is Yavin control tower. Specify what you're transporting,"_ the Yavin flight commander ordered.

"This is UNSC shuttle SKT-13, transporting Rebel Commanders Bridger and Wren back to the surface," the UNSC pilot said.

 _"Please transmit landing codes."_

The pilot turned to Ezra, "I don't know the codes..."

"Don't worry about it, we got it," Ezra said as he reached for the console. He typed in the access codes and sent it to the flight commander.

 _"Access codes are good. Land in Bay 5, section 2."_

"Thank you," the pilot said as he directed the shuttle to his designated landing zone.

After they landed, Ezra and Sabine were met by Zeb.

"So how was it?" he asked.

"It went very well," Ezra said. "I even managed to do better at something with their weapons than Sabine."

Sabine glared at him, "Don't rub it in."

Zeb stared, "He's joking right?"

Nobody said anything.

"What happened?" he asked then.

"Sabine wasn't ready for the recoil of one of their handguns and it flew out of her hands," Ezra explained.

"I still think you cheated," Sabine said glancing at Ezra.

"I didn't do anything, I swear," he replied.

"I don't know, I believe Sabine on this," Zeb said.

"Of course you do," Ezra said.

"But anyway, what did you think of their ships? I've never really seen them," Zeb asked.

"They're mostly grey, just like the Imperials, but they don't look like they've been built to establish fear," Ezra said.

"I think they need a bit more color," Sabine said.

"You remember those Spartans? Their armor has different colors," Ezra pointed out.

"Yeah but it's mostly all one color," she replied.

"But still color."

He got her on that part. She did want color and Ezra found some on them.

"You guys are back early," Hera said, walking up to meet them.

"Yeah, they said they were tracking an unknown fleet in the next system. They're keeping an eye out for them and they're putting their fleet on lockdown," Sabine said.

"They never specifically said 'lockdown', but yeah pretty much," Ezra confirmed.

"That's understandable. I'm glad they decided to send you back here," Hera said. "And it looks like they gave you a new toy."

Sabine turned around and saw nothing but the shuttle they arrived in. "Actually that was just our ride back here."

"If I may interrupt," the UNSC pilot began, "Lasky gave us orders to give you this shuttle. We'll only be here to give both of you instructions on piloting it."

Sabine's eyes grew wide, "Wait it's ours now?"

"I believe it is," the pilot confirmed. "I have the transfer orders here on this pad."

The pilot pulled out something like a datapad and showed Hera the orders.

"Well, I guess it is yours now..."

"I can paint it right?" Sabine asked without hesitation.

"You can do whatever you want... just don't let our central command find out. They'll have a fit," the pilot said.

"Understood. We can just say we salvaged it from a battle," Ezra said.

The pilot was about to counter that story, but thought a moment about it.

"The shuttle is small enough to fit in our frigates hangars... It could make sense. Enemy fleet damages one of our ships and a shuttle is sucked out into space," the pilot said.

"Exactly!"

"I think my captain would like that cover story. He's prefers a more political approach, which works most of the time, but getting involved with our media is something he doesn't want to get into. This could make it easy," the pilot said.

"Your people could still order you to retrieve it," Hera said.

"Not to worry. We don't plan on coming back here after we find a way out... At least unless there's an easy way here and back," the pilot said.

A bright blue light caught their eyes and they looked up to see _Infinity_ jumping to slipspace.

"Looks like they've pinpointed something," the pilot said.

"I guess so. Make yourself at home. We have extra rooms inside," Hera said, leading everybody back inside the base.

...

 _ ***2 minutes later***_

 _"Attention unidentified vessel! You are violating restricted space!"_ Roland said to the other ship after establishing contact.

 _"Really?"_ a gravelly voice growled from the other end. _"Last I checked this isn't under Imperial restriction!"_

"We're not Imperial," Roland replied.

 _"So you're Rebels?"_

"We are not Rebels either. We are independent of either side," Roland replied.

"Roland, let me speak to them," Lasky said.

 _"Who are you people?"_ the voice asked.

"This is Captain Lasky of the UNSC _Infinity_. This space is under restriction by order of the UNSC exploration force," Lasky spoke calmly through the comms.

 _"What is U-N-S-C?"_

"We are people from another galaxy. I'm afraid that's all I'm free to say. I advise you as friends to turn away and find a different route."

There was silence from the other side for a moment.

 _"I see I don't have much of a choice, do I? Very well. I'll find another way."_

The channel was closed as the unknown fleet turned away...

But something wasn't right. The fleet was too shiny and organized to be pirates.

"Drop a probe here. We need to make sure we know what's coming," Lasky ordered after the unknown fleet jumped away.

A probe was launched into open space and not long afterwards, the _Infinity_ returned to Yavin IV. After the _Infinity_ appeared from slipspace, they instantly picked up a recorded transmission from a familiar source.

"Captain," Roland began.

"Go ahead Roland," Lasky said.

"I just received a recorded transmission from our solar system."

"Play it, immediately. Bridge only broadcast," he ordered.

Roland nodded and played the message...

 _"UNSC Infinity, this is UNSC Central Command. We've received your message and are willing to send some ships through the anomaly. It's good to hear you're all ok and we have informed your families. We've also done more scans of the anomaly, with the help of the Covenant, and it appears to be a one-way wormhole, mostly invisible to the naked eye. Our best scientists and AIs have theorized that if you can somehow find a wormhole in your current galaxy, you may be able to transmit a radioactive frequency matching our galaxy's radiation frequency. Like I said it's only a theory, but it's the only chance you've got at returning to us, and the fleet we've sent out. We understand your current situation and we feel we could help in some way with Covenant support. After receiving this transmission, your new fleet's ETA should be a few days. To be exact we're not sure, but rest assured your reinforcements are on their way. Central Command out."_

Lasky stood there speechless, as did the rest of the Bridge crew. He didn't think Central Command would comply so easily.

"Alert the rest of the crew and the Covenant fleet. We're getting our reinforcements," Lasky ordered.


	10. Operation Planetside

**Chapter 10**

 ***One day after receiving the message***

"Captain, we've discovered something I think you should see!" a lieutenant called out from his station.

Lasky walked over to the lieutenant's station and looked at his monitor. "What am I looking at?"

"I don't know, sir. But it's some sort of fighter."

"It's too risky to send any of our intelligence officers to investigate," Lasky said.

"Maybe the Rebels would know something?" Lasky's XO said.

Lasky thought for a moment. "Is Commander Bridger here today?"

"Yes sir. He's in the ODST training deck with Rebel Commander Wren and Spartan Buck," an ensign reported.

"Good. Tell Buck I need them to meet me in my quarters," Lasky said. "XO, you have the Con."

"Yes sir!"

...

 _BLAM! BLAM!_

"Great shooting you two!" Buck said with a grin.

Sabine and Ezra both stood up, also grinning.

"I like this gun," Sabine said, holding her BR55 battle rifle. "It's got a kick to it."

"I like the Magnum better," Ezra said, patting his holstered M6G Magnum. He slung his own BR55 around his shoulders.

"Of course you do," Sabine smiled. "You've never been one to use rifles. Just a blade and occasionally a blaster pistol."

"They're both incredible weapons. If anything the BR55 and the M6G are about equal in strength if operated properly," Buck said. "But at least that's my opinion."

 _"Spartan Buck! Captain Lasky would like to see Commanders Bridger and Wren in his quarters immediately!"_

Ezra and Sabine looked at each other, then to Buck.

"I'm guessing we're done for now. Unload your weapons," Buck said.

Sabine and Ezra both unloaded their BR55s and M6Gs, racking the slide to discharge the chambered bullets and set them back on their designated racks. Then they followed Buck out of the training deck and to Lasky's quarters.

"Are we in trouble for something?" Ezra asked.

"I don't think so. I've been supervising your every move and as far as I know you haven't broken regulation. Either of you for that matter," Buck said, sounding equally confused.

They made it to Lasky's quarters and they walked in to be greeted by a seemingly concerned Lasky.

"Captain! Rebel Commanders Bridger and Wren as requested, sir!" Buck said, saluting the Captain.

"At ease, all three of you. Buck, if you don't mind I'd like to have a word with these two in private," Lasky said.

"Yes sir," Buck said. He shot Ezra and Sabine a quick glance and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Please, sit," Lasky said gesturing to a couple chairs.

Ezra and Sabine took their seats.

"Would any of you like a drink?"

"I'm good, thanks," Sabine said.

"Can I have a water?" Ezra asked.

"Of course," Lasky said as he grabbed a couple glasses out of the cupboard.

"Make that two then," Sabine said.

Lasky smiled as he grabbed a third glass and filled all three with water. He then handed one to each of the teens and sat down himself.

"If I may ask, sir," Sabine began, "what's this about? Are we in any kind of trouble?"

"No, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to ask you a few questions about something we discovered."

Ezra and Sabine looked at each other, then back at Lasky.

"Do you know anything about this ship?" Lasky asked as he held up a datapad with a picture of the TIE fighter.

"You mean the TIE Defender? Yeah we know a few things," Ezra said.

"The TIE Defender is heavily armed and shielded, able to wipe out a squadron of our A-wings by itself. So far the only thing able to rival that are our X-wings, but only barely," Sabine said.

"There's a Defender factory on my home world," Ezra spoke sadly.

"Really?" Lasky asked.

"We've been planning on attacking Lothal for a while, to destroy the factory and liberate his homeworld," Sabine said. "He helped me liberate my family from the Empire, thus also liberating my home planet of Krownest. I've been wanting to help him do the same for his world."

"And the reason you haven't done anything is because of the Empire?"

Ezra nodded. "Last I've heard it's under a heavy Imperial blockade. We can't get through it."

"So you want to liberate your homeworld, and there's also a high value target on it..." Lasky said.

"What are you thinking?" Sabine asked.

"I'm thinking I need all the data you have about that blockade, Lothal, that factory and the fighters they produce," Lasky replied.

... ***Two hours later***

"General Syndulla," a rebel captain (army) began. "The _Infinity_ is hailing us."

"Put it through," Hera replied.

A blue hologram of Lasky appeared before Hera.

"Captain, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, there is. It's come to our attention there's a major threat in the Lothal system," Lasky said.

"Indeed. Imperial factory that produces a highly advanced TIE fighter called the..."

"TIE Defender. I asked Ezra and Sabine about all they know about it and I had data transferred to our system," Lasky said.

"What are you planning?" Hera asked. "I'm not sure the Rebellion can pull off any sort of attack if that's what you're getting at."

"Not alone you can't," Lasky hinted.

"You can't be serious! We have a pretty large fleet, I'll admit, but the Imperial blockade is a full armada of warships! Would the Covenant be helping?"

"No, I contacted them and they agreed to stand guard here and defend the base if anything happens."

"So how is this going to go down, then?" Hera said, her full attention on Lasky.

"Since they have the factory on the surface, it's entirely likely there would be a few Defenders mixed with the normal TIEs. We'll first have to take them out or distract them. As for the blockade itself, we would have to clear some ships before deploying the drop pods."

"Drop pods? You mean escape pods?"

"Not exactly, no. Our ODST units are called helljumpers for a reason. Commander Bridger, would you care to explain?"

Ezra appeared on the holotable as did a schematic for the _Infinity_.

"You see, whenever the word is given, multiple pods, each holding one ODST soldier, are launched from these launch tubes."

Bright blue pods appear from _Infinity_ 's underside, a dotted line leaving a trail. "These pods are meant to be launch from low orbit and once they finish the re-entry and just free falling towards the surface, the air brakes deploy automatically, slowing the pod enough so when they land, the soldiers inside don't die. I've seen these pods before and they hit the ground hard," Ezra said.

"The pods have inertial dampeners and shock absorbers so while they hit hard, the man inside only feels a heavy jolt. The pods are also equipped with a control surface so the man inside can maneuver the pod to a certain course. We could land right on their front door if we wanted," Lasky said then.

A simulation appeared as Lasky spoke, "However that would endanger the civilians. While we would be inside their lines, they have a clear path to the civies, allowing them to hold them hostage. We'd be powerless."

"So where would you drop the pods?" Hera asked.

"Roland," Lasky said and the AI appeared on the holoterminal, the simulation shifting.

"We intend to drop the pods just outside the city, and if there are open areas within, we would deploy saboteurs behind their lines. They're mission would be to disable as many anti infantry defenses the Empire may have."

"They have a lot of AT-DP walkers inside the city," Hera said. "I believe they would also have a few tanks and definitely some transports."

"The walkers and tanks would be priority. The transports should be relatively easy for our forces," Lasky said.

Hera agreed, "They usually pose not much of a threat, unless we're caught unprepared. But since they're transports, they would be carrying Imperial reinforcements."

"Is there anything else I should know about their defenses?" Lasky asked.

"Their transports are usually escorted by speeders, which are relatively easy to take out most of the time," Hera replied.

"We can't take any chances," Lasky said. "I'm going to need more information about their defenses. Going to need pinpoint locations, schedules, troop movements, everything."

"That's what we do best," Hera said. She looked at Sabine through the communication, "Sabine will help you with that. She used to be a cadet at the Imperial Academy on her homeworld of Mandalore. She knows their protocols and radio frequencies."

"I thought your homeworld was Krownest," Lasky said.

"It is... I was born on Krownest, but my heritage belongs to Mandalore," Sabine said.

"Her ancestors," Ezra whispered to the UNSC Captain, who nodded.

"Alright, Sabine do your thing," Hera said.

"Captain?" Sabine asked for permission.

"Granted."

Sabine walked over to a separate communications console and began reworking the comms. She was able to hack into the Imperial frequency on Lothal, but there was a problem.

"I got their signal, but it's very spotty I can't understand what they're saying. We either need to get closer, or send a relay probe to strengthen the signal," she said.

"Our ships would be detected too easily. We'll use the probes," Lasky said as he turned to an officer. "Deploy the probes."

The Infinity deployed multiple relay probes to several key locations around Lothal, some being set deep into the Lothal solar system, while others were close enough to provide distinct details of the surface. The closer probes were equipped with cloaks to prevent detection and their slipspace modules would open and close a slipspace rupture so fast it would only seem like a small flash of light from a distant star.

"Captain, I'm getting a signal from our probes," the officer reported.

"May I check the position of those probes?" Hera requested.

"Of course. Send it through," Lasky ordered.

A live simulation of the probes appeared on Hera's side of the communication. She studied the position and frowned.

"Captain, two of your closest probes to the planet are in front of a hyperspace lane. You need to move them to a different spot. If a ship flew through there, they would hit the probes," she said.

"It would take a couple minutes, but we'll get right on that," Lasky said, signalling his officer to maneuver the two probes.

"Captain, one of our farther probes is picking up a hyperspace signature. It's heading towards Lothal!"

"Get those probes moved, now!"

The probes maneuvering thrusters were working fine, but the active cloak uses up so much power the thrusters are unable to function at full efficiency.

"First probe is clear of the Hyperspace lane!" the officer reported, as he continued focusing all his attention to the second probe.

The probe was right at the edge of the lane, and the incoming starship was getting closer. Nobody could tell if the probe was going to make it or not.

"Border of the hyperspace lane crossed in 3..."

The ship in hyperspace looked like it was right on top of the cloaked probe.

"2..."

Tension filled the room. If that ship hits the probe, the entire mission could be a bust.

"1..."

Everybody is now very tense and anxious.

With the probe, the ship drops out of hyperspace right next to it. The Imperial I-class Star Destroyer begins an orbital burn to join it's comrades in the blockade's formation at the front and center, narrowly missing the probe by mere inches.

Everybody lets out a sigh of relief, the tension now released into the atmosphere.

"That was close," Ezra said.

"Perhaps too close. Looks like we need the maps. It will help ups navigate where the hyperspace lanes are. Especially the busy ones," Lasky said.

"Well I think you also have some advantages when jumping," Hera began. "We can't detect an incoming ship until the ruptures appear. How fast can you guys leave the slipspace rupture?"

"It depends on how urgent the situation is. If it's a combat scenario, we can leave the slipstream very fast. However, we usually take it slower if things are calm," Lasky said.

"So basically we wouldn't know you are coming until it's too late?"

"Exactly. With that we also have the element of surprise. If we are to catch the Imperials off guard, I suggest my fleet jump in first, then after we're clear of slipspace, we'll signal you."

"We have some coordinates in deep space, just outside the Imperials scanners. It should take us no more than about 5 seconds for us to arrive at max speed," Hera said.

"When you get to the staging grounds, it be best to double check your fighter and bomber wings for full charges, bombs, torpedoes, fuel, everything," Lasky said.

"All part of protocol," Rex said with a grin.

"Captain Rex, it's a pleasure to see you again. Will you be taking part in this battle?"

"If only I could, Captain, but I have to stay here and keep an eye on this place," Rex replied.

"Understood."

...

 **Meanwhile at the Lothal system...**

"Saxon, do you know the location of the Rebel base?" Thrawn asked the Mandalorian.

"Not exactly, though while I was searching a system, the UNSC ship appeared in front of us, declaring that was part of UNSC Restricted Space. As per orders I... played along with it," the Mandalorian replied.

"Which system were you in?"

Saxon pointed to the system and Thrawn began studying the map.

"If they have a restricted area around that system, then their base is not too far after all," Thrawn said as he pushed a button and most of the planets faded, but a few systems surrounding the one Saxon patrolled were lit up red. Yavin 4 being one of them.

"Send some probes to these planets," Thrawn ordered. "But if we find the Rebels, let them think they're still safe."

"You want me to leave them alone?"

"For now. I'd like to see where their fleet is, and if it's all there, then we can attack."

"What about this... UNSC?"

"They are not of my concern now."

"But I hear one of their ships destroyed an Executor-class super star destroyer!" Saxon pointed out.

"Yes but that was a foolish move on that Admiral's part. Most of his crew were lost due to his arrogance," Thrawn said coldly. "I will not make the same mistake."

"Very well, Grand Admiral," the Mandalorian said as he left to deploy the probes.

After the probes were launched, the mandalorian left in his own Kom'rk ship, leaving the 7th fleet back in the hands of Thrawn. Everything was looking good for the Grand Admiral, but he didn't anticipate what happened next.

"Grand Admiral, I'm picking something up on our scanners... a reading I don't understand," an officer reported.

Thrawn turned and stared coldly at the officer, "What do you mean?"

"Some sort of anomaly I've never seen before," the officer added.

Thrawn looked out the Chimera's viewscreen and watched as a slipspace rupture appeared, then just a second later, the UNSC _Infinity_ was barrelling down on the Imperial blockade. The blockade was caught unprepared as wave after wave of missiles from _Infinity_ crashed into other Imperial star cruisers, their shields not even active to save power.

Two Star Destroyers were destroyed easily while a third was severely crippled.

"All ships, raise shields!" Thrawn ordered through the fleet comms.

...

"Captain, they're finally raising their shields," Roland said, noticing the missiles were doing less damage to the Star Destroyers.

"Good. Launch all frigates," Lasky ordered. The ship shuttered slightly as the massive hangar doors opened and the docking clamps unlocked, the magnetic launch mechanism throwing the ships into space.

Immediately after they were cleared from the _Infinity_ , the commanders of the Strident-class heavy frigates got into formation with _Infinity_.

Lasky nodded to Roland who opened a comm channel to the Rebel fleet.

...

"Copy that, Captain," Hera said. "Entering hyperspace." She pushed the throttle up to max and the entire fleet followed her into hyperspace, straight towards Lothal.

"Arriving in 5...4...3...2...1!"

...

"Captain, several HP signatures behind us. They're here," a lieutenant reported.

"Good, our message got through," Lasky said. Under normal circumstances he would grin, but in the middle of a battle he couldn't afford that much.

"This is Captain Thomas Lasky of the UNSC _Infinity_! All ships focus fire on the closest Imperial ship, we need to cut a path for our ground teams!"

All the ships began to target and fire upon the closest Star Destroyer to _Infinity_. They were going to set up a perimeter around _Infinity_ to keep fighters and cannon fire off the 5 kilometer warship. Eventually, 5 Imperial star destroyers were destroyed, allowing _Infinity_ to realign to the planet's surface. As soon as the _Infinity_ was aligned, Lasky gave the order to drop the pods. All ODST units inside the pods were launched at the same time, speeding through space towards Lothal. The Star Destroyers tried to shoot them out, but they were so small and moving so fast they couldn't hit them, much less get a lock.

However, Lasky began thinking deeply about the battle.

"Two powerful fleets... one of which have a tactical genius... this can't be right, it's all happening too easily," he thought aloud, muttering under his breath. He pressed a button on the console, "All drop units, this is Captain Lasky. As soon as you land you need to get to cover. This is all too easy. Something's definitely wrong." He began typing on the control panel. "Maneuver your pods to these grid coordinates."

Hera, having heard the transmission, began to speak. "You're completely right, Captain. Something's definitely not right."

...

"You may engage when ready, commander," Thrawn said as the holo communications closed.

He then looked out at the battle occurring before him as a massive Imperial-Mandalorian fleet appeared from Hyperspace behind the enemy fleet.

"You may have had the element of surprise, Captain Lasky, but I've dealt with situations like this before. You cannot win this," Thrawn said, a thin smile forming on his face.

...

"Captain, multiple HP signatures behind our fleet! We've been outflanked!" Roland reported. The ship shook as a barrage of laser fire connected with their shields and the shields of the rebel ships.

Two more loud, but also muffled, booms were heard and Lasky stared at the two Executor-class super star destroyers towering over the battlefield.

"Mother of God..." the XO said.

"We're in trouble," Lasky agreed.

...

"Ground teams! Orbital contact 3...2...1... CONTACT!"

Several drop pods collided with the grass-covered ground with incredible force, effectively startling the waiting Imperial forces barricaded within the city perimeter.

"Is that some sort of orbital strike?" one stormtrooper asked.

"Don't ask me, I don't even know who these people are," another said.

They all charged and focused their blasters on the pods, holding their fire in case the pods were explosive.

"Sir, I'm reading life signs within the pods," a third trooper reported to his officer.

"It's the attackers. Do not shoot until you see them!"

"Yes sir!" All the troopers said in unison.

Inside the pods, the leading ODST commander heard the whole thing and sighed. "Great. Just great. We don't really have personal shields..."

 _"What do you suggest we do, sir?"_ his lieutenant asked.

"When I give the signal, open the doors. Use M6G Magnums or SMGs to cover you. Save the BR55s and MA5s for after you get to cover. If you have to use the pods as just that. Everybody copy?"

All squad leaders and soldiers reported ready.

"Alright. On my mark... Load your weapons," the commander ordered as he began double checking his own equipment.

 _Magnum's loaded, BR55 is loaded, just need to chamber the rounds... Frags are strapped to my belt and a few plasma grenades from our Covenant buddies..._

Clicks, pops, and pings were heard through the comm panel as everybody checked their equipment. Not long after they all checked in ready.

"Here we go boys. Open the pods, let's go go go!"

All the pods opened one by one and immediately afterwards, the HUD display on the ODSTs helmets tagged the Imperial position allowing the UNSC forces to pin them down enough to get to cover. However not all the ODSTs made it to cover in time. Some were killed instantly, others wounded, but they still had plenty of soldiers on the ground to continue the fight.

The ODST commander looked around his pod and a blaster bolt smacked the edge of the pod, forcing the commander to pull his head back.

"Alright, the only way we can get out of this is to execute the Madman Maneuver," the commander said to his squad.

"Seriously?" one asked.

"I thought we agreed that was bad!" another exclaimed.

"Do you have a better idea?" the commander asked.

"No sir! Madman maneuver it is."

 **A/N: The Madman Maneuver is something I came up with while playing Battlefront II (2005) with my friend one day. The entire Imperial army was in front of us and my friend just started chucking grenades at them and eventually I joined in on it, too. I called it the Madman** **Maneuver.**

"Prime your frags NOW!"

Every soldier in his squad began throwing grenades at the enemy forces, some of the charges falling within their perimeter, killing or wounding the stormtroopers instantly, while other landed just outside the perimeter. At first the maneuver was throwing the grenades randomly towards the enemy position, but with a great deal of training, and rule bending, they decided it be best used with precise throws to avoid friendly fire. **Which was common in my Battlefront II games**

Pretty soon, the Imperials were forced to keep their heads down as the grenades provided time for the UNSC riflemen to lay suppressive fire, which allowed the sniper units to organize themselves. Not long afterwards, the landing zone was secured, with the Imperial defenses holding fire.

"Loth-cat to _Infinity_ , we have secured the landing zone. Spartan drop is a go," the ODST commander said.

"Copy that Loth-cat. We're getting hammered up here, sending Blue," a combat observer said through the comms. "Touchdown T-2 minutes. Stand by."

"Copy _Infinity_. Loth-cat out," the squad leader said.

 **A/N: The ODST unit is codenamed Loth-cat... I think the reason is self explanatory due to where they're fighting.**

"Where's the Spartan unit?" the lieutenant asked.

"They'll be here ETA 2 minutes. Think we can hold the Imps back until then?"

"Yes sir."

"How many wounded?"

"6 wounded, 8 dead sir," the lieutenant reported sadly.

"We'll have to mourn later. We need to get to that perimeter. We barely have any cover out here," the squad leader said.

"Well, sir, it's starting to get dark. That battle up top would probably be visible from down here soon," LT said.

"We need to stay sharp."

"Yes sir."

As they checked up with their troops, they heard something like a bunch of metal... walking?

"Oh S**T that's a walker!" a private cried out.

"Let me see!" SL (Squad Leader) said.

He looked through his ocular zoom in his helmet **(I think they have those, right?)** and identified the walker.

"That's an AT-DP. Resistant to blasters, but not rockets. We have any M57s or M41s with us?"

"We have the M57s sir," LT replied.

"We need to take out that walker!"

"Don't have to tell us twice cap. Alright you boys heard him, light it up!"

An ODST demolitions expert ran up with the M57 Pilum rocket launcher and took careful aim at the walker's head before blowing the walker's head off with one rocket.

"Nice shot, the walker's down!" an ODST sentry said.

Suddenly the ground blew up around the UNSC forces and they all looked behind the destroyed walker only to see 3 more walkers just like the first through the flames.

"We are going to need some more rockets," LT said.

"Commander, look!" a corporal shouted, pointing to the sky. As the sun was setting, they could easily spot out several orange dots in the sky.

"The Spartans are here!" SL exclaimed. He never thought the ODSTs would be so happy to see the Spartans finally joining the fun.


	11. Free Lothal

**Chapter 11**

"Sierra 117 to _Infinity_ , where's our air support?" Chief requested through the comms.

 _"Standby 117. Longswords just entered the battlezone._ "

 _"This is Longsword strike team Bravo, inbound from the East; ETA 30 seconds."_

The rapid gunfire from the UNSC forces mixed with the semi-auto blaster fire from the Imperial forces, with an occasional burst from a rapid-fire blaster turret the Imperials set up within the city perimeter. While the Imperial forces were distracted from the frontlines, several more USNC pods had been deployed within the city itself, allowing an ODST field engineering team to hijack, hack into, and sabotage Imperial auto defenses and vehicles. Very little fire was exchanged and the UNSC forces inside were never heard as their weapons were equipped with suppressors, their dark combat gear making it relatively easy to hide in the shadows in the dark alleys.

 _"Strike team Bravo ETA 10 seconds."_

The sound of jets were heard as the Longswords flew over the Imperial position, their air-to-surface bombs and missiles nailing their designated targets with devastating accuracy. This was a kind of warfare the citizens of Lothal and Imperials alike weren't used to. Normally the Empire relied on overwhelming force on the ground and the air, while the air groups used their blaster cannons to strafe the enemy's position. Occasionally Imperial TIE Bombers strafing the battlefield, the proton bombs dealing incredible damage, but a relatively small explosion of dispersed energy, shrapnel usually down to a minimum. The UNSC wasn't like that. They were about efficiency. Their bombs were guided, designed for nailing targets with little strafes. The explosions usually relatively large while shrapnel was another large problem. Stormtrooper armor was designed to disperse energy across a broad surface, but were ineffective against slugs or bullets, frag grenades, even shrapnel. The body glove beneath the armor helped only a little against the shrapnel.

The UNSC gear was designed against bullets, but since their war with the Covenant, they've adapted to both anti-bullets and anti-energy defenses. The Spartan Mjolnir armor was tougher than the toughest armor a droid or person could wear for the Empire, probably equal to Mandalorian armor, if not better. Not to mention the personal shields they carried providing first-line defense against enemy fire. However, as the UNSC knows but fortunately not the Imperials, a well placed sniper shot could disable the shield temporarily leaving only the armor to defend against the blaster-fire.

Chief looked up at the fading Longswords watched them climb into the clouds as TIE air groups began to chase them down. Their close air support was going to be delayed yet again, but this last strike threw the Imperials into near chaos. The perimeter was breached.

"Move up!" Chief ordered as his ground team trained their weapons on anything around them.

As they marched past the city barricades, they were forced to step over the bodies of dead Imperials, stormtroopers and officers alike. Fortunately, this area was restricted for civilians so there were no civilian casualties. They continued their advance down the streets, meeting wave after wave of counter-advancing Imperials. Usually after the quick fire-fights, a few civilians would poke their head up from a window to watch the UNSC soldiers march past, though they had to follow procedure and clear the houses.

"BREACH!" somebody called out from outside a house. Immediately, the door was thrown open and the ODSTs trained their weapons on the civilians, who cowered in the corner, their hands raised in surrender.

"Friendlies. We've got friendlies here!" one of the soldiers shouted.

They lowered their weapons and approached the civilians in the corner. It was a small family of two children and a mother... but no father. The father of the household, it turns out, was standing in a separate corner, pistol drawn and aimed at the soldiers. However he was already spotted.

"Gun! Gun!"

"Drop the weapon! NOW!"

The man instantly dropped the blaster and fell to his knees.

"Please don't fire! I beg of you please spare my family!"

The ODSTs looked at each other and lowered their weapons yet again.

"We're not going to hurt you. We're fighting for you," the ODST squad leader said.

"Y-You are?" the man asked in disbelief.

"Please, find some better cover. We can't guarantee your house being safe. If you have access to anything underground, we advise you to hide there."

"There's a hatch to a small room under my house. It's reinforced with durasteel thick enough to withstand Imperial bombardment," the man said.

"That should do. Take all you need, food, water, any belongings you need, and get down there. Spread the word to other houses via radio if you have to."

"Are you guys going to break into every house here?"

"To make sure it's clear of Imperials, yes."

The man nodded with understanding, but before the ODST could leave, the man grabbed his arm. "Who are you people?"

"United Nations Space Command, Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or ODST, at your service."

"Where are you from?"

"Not from here, obviously. Look as much as I'd like to stay and chat, I have a job to do," the ODST said.

"Glenn, let the soldier go," the woman said from the corner.

"Sorry sir," the man said, finally letting the ODST leave.

...

The entire ship shook from the firepower of the two super star destroyers, plus a few other ships from the regular fleet. Thrawn really does not like making it easy. Lasky looked up and out of the _Infinity_ 's main viewscreen and didn't see much through the heavy barrage. The the shields were holding for now, though they were slowly dropping 5% every 10 seconds, only because Roland rerouted unnecessary power from abandoned decks and rooms leaving those select areas without power, gravity, and life support. Red lines appeared all along the _Infinity_ 's infrastructure and hull, indicating at least 20% of the ship is damaged.

"Combat DC units, see what you can do with the damage now that the shields are stable!" Lasky ordered through the ship's comms just as they took another heavy hit.

"Sir, a shuttle attempted to board us!" the XO reported.

"What happened?"

"Shields. They can't detect our shields I'm guessing," XO said.

 _"Lasky, this is Hera! Come in, Infinity!"_

"We hear you, General. What is it?"

"Our young Jedi is anxious to help on the ground assault. He knows the place well," Hera said through the spotty communications.

"It's too dangerous," Lasky said.

"Not for a Jedi," Hera said. "At least that's what he says. Also Sabine, of course, is wanting to go with him. All they need is cover."

"Get them into _Infinity_. Your ships will never make it, but our pods will!" Lasky said.

"I thought you said they wouldn't survive the landing!" Hera replied.

"If they do what they're told, they can. Not only are there airbrakes built into the pods, but the maneuvering thrusters can also help slow down their approach enough."

"I suppose that could work. Prepare to receive!"

"Roland, on my mark, lower the shields around the ventral hangars! Give them a 3 second window!" Lasky ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Three seconds?"

"There's fire everywhere, we can't risk taking a hit to the ventral hull," Lasky said.

"Understood. Chopper, reroute auxiliary power to the engines. If they blow that's fine. We might not make it out of _Infinity_ anyways with all this firepower."

The Ghost flew into position, ready to move. "I'm in position, Captain!"

"Alright, full power, General!" Lasky said.

The Ghost flew closer and closer. To the Empire, it looked like the Rebels turned on the UNSC, but to their surprise, instead of hitting shields or hull, they just watched the small, yet heavily armed freighter disappear from their scopes as it entered the UNSC's shield perimeter.

"Captain, the shield is closed. Ghost is inside our hangars but we seem to have picked up a straggler," Roland reported.

"Who?"

"A TIE tried to fly after the Ghost, but as it tried, the shield closed on its wing..." Roland paused a moment. "Detected lifesigns from the crashed TIE in Hanger 3."

"Send a security and medical team, now!"

There was a loud _Bang_ heard from the starboard side of _Infinity_ and the bridge crew watched in horror as a Strident heavy frigate lost shields and was literally torn to shreds by the heavy firepower, the muffled _boom_ heard loud and clear. They looked to the port side and watched as a TIE bomber formation severely crippled another Strident, enabling fighters and capital ships alike to destroy that one as well.

"Captain, our fleet can't take much more of this. We must either use the MACs or withdraw!"

A well placed shot shook the entire ship once again, but this shot was different.

"Captain! Shields down at 35%!"

"35? How?" Lasky asked.

"Captain Lasky, this is Spectre 2. Spectres 5 and 6 are at the pods! Awaiting drop command!"

"We'll need to hold the drop! There's too much firepower!"

Several Star Destroyers were destroyed alongside the Rebel and UNSC fleet, with more than half the Rebels gone and a quarter of the UNSC also gone, most of which were fighter squadrons.

"The Empire takes overwhelming force way too seriously," Lasky said. "All ships..."

Silence...

"Brace for MAC! Roland, both bow MACs target one of the super star destroyers. Flank MACs..."

"What about them?" Roland asked.

"All ships... prep for launch as soon as the _Infinity_ 's bow MACs fire. We're going to give these guys a surprise," Lasky said.

Roland frowned, "We doing that?"

"Yes. It's now or never. We have the tech and the skills, we can do this."

"MACs spun up, sir!" XO reported.

"Roland, FIRE!"

The shockwave of the fired MACs pushed the nearest Imperial fighters and bombers away a few hundred meters, many of them crashing into one another or even losing power all together. The MAC rounds connected with the SSDs shields and immediately, the shields disintegrated, the round still traveling at a fraction of the speed of light straight into the hull of the massive ship.

Moments later, the ship began to lose power and fall towards the Lothal surface.

"All ships, micro jump!"

All the UNSC vessels slipped into slipspace and immediately, more ruptures appeared behind the Imperial lines, the flank side of _Infinity_ facing the second SSD.

"FIRE!"

The two flank MAC guns released their Tungsten charges, the shots headed straight for the engines and the power core.

With the second SSD incapacitated, it was up to the Imperial-II SDs to fight the UNSC fleet, now only 5 of the original 10 Stridents completely destroyed into nothing but bits of metal.

Both sides held their fire for the moment as they tried to rearm and repair, not a single UNSC, Rebel, or Imperial ship was unscathed.

"Did you launch the pods?"

"Yes sir. They should have made ground contact by now," Roland replied.

"Good. Reload all our weapons! I need a status report of the fleet and _Infinity_ ASAP! Get General Syndulla up here," Lasky ordered.

...

Two pods. That was their reinforcements for the time being.

"Great. Who's in those?" a marine asked.

The doors popped off the pods and Ezra stepped out of one and Sabine out the other, both very unstable from the ride down.

"Never doing that again," Sabine said.

"Agreed," Ezra said.

"Hey what's with the jelly legs?" an ODST asked.

"Cut them some slack," another said. "They've never done this sort of thing before."

"Yes sir, sorry sir!"

"What's the plan, kid?"

"Kid?" Sabine growled. "We're both literally 18!"

"Well I'm 18, you're 19, Sabine," Ezra said but Sabine punched his shoulder.

"Close enough!"

"Alright, sorry I asked."

"What do we have to deal with so far?" Ezra asked.

"Several hundred stormtroopers, few dozen or so walkers and tanks. All that fun stuff. Don't get me started with the enemy air support," an LT replied.

"We've had worse," Sabine stated.

"Really?" the LT asked.

"Technically, yes. AT-AT walkers," Ezra said.

"AT-AT?"

"All Terrain Armored Transport. AT-AT. Those suckers are very hard to take down with few weaknesses. A direct hit with the strongest launcher-fired rocket or missile couldn't dent the armor," Sabine said.

"What are the weaknesses?"

"Joints and neck. That's just about it," Sabine answered.

"Under belly?"

Sabine shook her head, "Equally tough as the rest of it. Even the head and face is heavily armored, not to mention the big guns on it. Best chance is to fire a homing rocket at its neck from the side. It can only turn its head so much before having to turn the entire structure."

Suddenly, there were loud creaks and crunches in the distance from behind the enemy lines.

"What's that sound? Another walker?" a marine asked.

"Sounds different from the rest," the ODST said.

Ezra and Sabine paled slightly, "Yeah you should get your men into position. That sound we're hearing? It's the AT-ATs making their way to us."

"Thanks for the info kid," Chief said out of nowhere, startling the young commander.

"Oh uh, no problem," he replied nervously.

The Spartan picked up a new weapon Ezra and Sabine haven't noticed. "Is that a rocket launcher?" Sabine asked.

"No." Chief simply said before walking off.

Ezra looked over to another Spartan who was standing next to Chief, "Is he always like that?"

Spartan Fred-104 looked down at Ezra, "Yeah, afraid so. We can't blame him either. He's been through more things in his lifetime that most don't experience in ten lifetimes."

"Really..." Sabine asked.

Fred nodded, "It's hard to be a Spartan. We're one of the last Spartan II units. All the other Spartans you see on _Infinity_ are Spartan IVs. Buck being one of them."

"Spartan IIs?"

"Chief, Linda, me, everybody we have in Blue Team are one of the first teams in the Spartan program. Blue team being the first Spartan team ever deployed since the program began. And it began with us."

"How did it..." Ezra began but Sabine stopped him.

"Ezra, he needs to get going. He shouldn't have to talk about his past. Any of them."

Ezra nodded, "You're right. Sorry for everything."

"It's no trouble, kid. But your friend is right, we don't talk about our past. Most of us don't remember it anyway but we know it was a hard past."

The two teens nodded and the Spartan turned and caught up with Chief, some carrying rocket launchers while Chief carried something else.

"Alright everybody!" Ezra began. "Get to your positions! They're coming and it's not going to be easy!"

"Whatever you do, stay hidden from the big walkers. Don't fire at them either, let the rocket teams take them out!" Sabine added.

All the soldiers instantly stood at attention.

"One last thing," an ODST leader called out. "Remember who you are! Remember what you're fighting for! Remember who you're fighting for! Not just the people of this oppressed galaxy, but also our people back home! If we fail, this Empire could very well attempt to spread into our galaxy! We will not let that happen! Now let's get to work!"

All the soldiers grinned and shouted in unison, "OORAH!" before scrambling to their weapons and battle positions.

"That was some speech," Sabine stated.

"They need the motivation."

Meanwhile at the Imperial encampment, they could hear the battle cry as if they were right in front of them, though technically they are.

"What was that?" a trooper asked.

"I think they're coming," another said.

"Why don't we have something like that?" a third trooper asked.

"We do. FOR THE EMPIRE!" an officer shouted receiving a cry from the entire Imperial force.

"FOR THE EMPIRE!"

Two AT-AT walkers stepped on an abandoned building, completely destroying it as it walked closer to the UNSC line. However, they were not prepared for what happened next. They saw a flashing red line pointed at the knees and that very line began to grow. The two Rebels alongside the UNSC forces all could see the line and many of the soldiers grinned.

"You asked what the Chief was carrying? Well here's your answer," one of them said.

The stormtroopers watched in horror as a huge, red beam disintegrated the two front legs of the AT-AT walker, throwing the walker forward onto its face. But the UNSC wasn't done there. Another Spartan fired a rocket at the weak point near the head and completely destroyed the command pod. The stormtroopers instantly began firing at the UNSC frontline and they returned fire. The other three AT-ATs advanced on the enemy position and destroyed any known location of the UNSC forces. However the very same thing that happened to the first AT-AT happened to a second. A large, red laser beam destroyed a knee joint, but this time it was a rear leg, causing the AT-AT to fall more on it's back. To prevent the walker from falling over completely, the pilots bent the last remaining rear leg, setting the walker to a sitting position, revealing the under belly and the neck.

A marine took aim and fired a rocket at the walker's neck, completely blowing the command pod off the body. The pod, having hit the ground pretty hard, collapsed in on itself, killing anybody inside the pod.

"Stay below cover until the last two walkers have been taken out!" Ezra ordered.

"Yes Commander!" the soldiers all replied.

The ODST team leader smirked at the young man's leadership skills. _Clearly he's not new to commanding a squad._ he thought to himself.

...

"Captain the enemy fleet is burning away from us and towards the planet," Roland reported.

"Can we engage with long range guns?" Lasky asked.

"Negative they are out of range."

"Blast. Can we jump closer?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. Another close calculated jump like that could severely fracture _Infinity_ 's structure."

Lasky thought for a moment and looked to a flight commander. "Do we have any bombers left?"

"We have one squadron of GA-TL1 Longsword and some B-65 Shortsword bombers. Chances are they can intercept the enemy fleet and keep them distracted, but they'll need fighter cover."

"How many fighters do we have?"

"We managed to recall several wings of F-41 Broadswords, but we're not sure how long they'll hold out. Compared to the amount of fighters the Empire has, our fighters are heavily outnumbered and our bombers wouldn't last any longer."

"We can't get to them. What do you think they're doing?" an LT asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like it. Roland, I need a sitrep on shields, armor, and hull strength!"

"Shield strength 80% an increasing. Armor at 60% efficiency, and the hull is at 90% strength."

"Armaments?"

"Primary armaments are online at 90% efficiency, secondary armaments online at 70% efficiency."

"Engine power!"

"Engines online at peak efficiency."

"Slipspace drive?"

"Slipspace Drive online, but not recommended."

"Captain, I'm reading a massive power signature from the fleet... They're going to bombard the surface!"

Lasky quickly turned to the Imperial fleet, which finished maneuvering within orbital bombardment range.

"All ships full burn to the enemy fleet! We cannot let them fire on the surface!"

Before the ships could move, however, something completely unexpected happened.

"SLIPSPACE RUPTURES!"

"How many?" Lasky asked.

Before anybody could answer, however, dozens upon dozens of warships thundered past the remains of _Infinity_ 's small battle group. Several wings of TIE fighters were met with swarms of fresh new fighters while the now heavily outnumbered and outgunned Imperial Star Destroyers were met with a hail of heavy cannon fire from the fresh warships.

"They're UNSC!" somebody cheered.

"I don't believe it," Lasky muttered.

Surrounding the remains of _Infinity_ 's small battle group, was the biggest war fleet the UNSC has ever formed:

 **Halcyon-class light cruisers x20**

 **Halberd-class destroyers x20**

 **Strident-class heavy frigates x20**

 **Marathon-class heavy cruisers x10**

 **Paris-class heavy frigates x20**

 **Poseidon-class light carriers x4**

 **Epoch-class heavy carriers x2**

 **Valiant-class super heavy cruisers x20**

 **Orion-class assault carriers x4**

 **Punic-class supercarriers x2**

 _ **Infinity**_ **-class supercarrier x1 (which launched another 10 Strident-class frigates forming a total of 30 Strident frigates)**

"Mother of God..." the XO sighed in disbelief as the destroyers and frigates moved to engage the primary Imperial fleet while the cruisers and carriers stayed back to protect _Infinity_.

"UNSC _Infinity_ this is UNSC Eternity. How was our timing?"

Lasky chuckled as he reached for the comm switch. "Impeccable. Your timing was perfect, captain."

...

 **Now some of you may be wondering the heavy cruisers. One of you, you know who you are, and some of you are asking, "Shouldn't it be Autumn-class heavy cruisers?"**

 **My answer to that question is not exactly. There's always going to be different classes of ships in Navy, usually each carrying a different role. The Autumn-class is just one of the many kinds of heavy cruisers, the Marathon-class and Valiant-class also being heavy cruisers. Also, the Valiant-class is apparently a 'super heavy cruiser' if that makes any sense. If you guys want to see the Autumn-class here, feel free to tell me and I'll be happy to oblige.**

 **Also, if you feel I'm making the UNSC a bit too OP in this story, just hold on. The Empire isn't finished with their fight yet. And there's still a certain familiar weapon the UNSC will have to deal with. ;)**


	12. No War is Without Sacrifice

**Chapter 12**

"I never thought Command would be willing to potentially lose so much," Lasky said.

"As long as we have some form of communication, that's good enough for them at the moment," the UNSC Eternity captain said.

"What about back home? What do we have to defend?"

"The Covenant understood the situation. They've already sent a small fleet as you already know. Their primary fleet is helping to defend and even some parts of the former Insurrectionists are donating their fleets for defense."

"That's something I never thought I would hear," Roland said.

"Indeed. We were just as surprised. Anyway, back to business. What's the status of the enemy fleet?"

"Disarray, sir. I don't think they were expecting such heavy reinforcements," Roland said.

"We've managed to disrupt their bombardment. We should regroup at these coordinates," Lasky said as he sent coordinates.

"Why there?"

"The remains of the rebel fleet is losing power. They're stuck in the open, easy targets for the Empire," Lasky said.

"I see them now. Not much of a fleet anymore, really."

"Yup."

A static-filled transmission filled the room.

"Ca-ain La-sky. Do y- ead..."

"This is Lasky, I hear you but you're breaking up. Repeat previous transmission."

"This is... Synd-a. We've lost - po-er."

"We're sending a recovery team to you now. Stand by, General," Lasky said.

"I assume that's one of the Rebel leaders?"

"You assumed correctly. Roland, contact the ground teams. _Eternity_ , deploy all available ODST units to these coordinates on the surface," Lasky ordered.

 _"Copy Infinity. Deploying ground units!"_

The _UNSC Eternity_ maneuvered to a low orbit of Lothal and deployed as many drop pods and Pelicans as they could, also launching F-41 Broadsword interceptors and GA-TL1 Longswords to provide air support for the ground troops.

...

"How many walkers do these guys have?" a marine shouted.

"I don't know. I'm down to my last rocket," an ODST rookie said.

"Commander Bridger, where does the Empire get all these walkers?"

"You'd be surprised what they like to do," Ezra said, deflecting another blaster bolt back to an Imperial trooper.

Sabine landing not too far behind their line and ran up to him. "They have at least 4 more AT-ATs and 10 more AT-DPs."

"What happened to Chief's laser cannon?" Ezra asked.

"It ran out of power most likely. That thing only uses a couple shots before it dies."

"How are we on rockets?"

The ODST Rookie fired a rocket at the command pod of an approaching AT-DP, "That was my last one. I don't know about the others."

"I haven't seen this many walkers in one place since Atollon," Sabine said.

"Yeah and the Bendu knocked out a bunch of the AT-ATs with his lightning but he's not here!" Ezra shouted as a building collapsed nearby.

The AT-AT lines were closing on the pinned UNSC forces, occasionally an entire squad of Marines and even ODSTs were wiped out by the walkers. Even the Spartans were having a little trouble.

"Our air support was shot down an hour ago and that's key to virtually every mission!" the marine said.

An AT-AT's foot smashed into the ground just a mere 10 yards from the UNSC frontline, making everybody jump. Ezra leapt out of the trench they dug and sliced off the front leg of the AT-AT, which toppled over onto a half destroyed building.

"Sir, get back here!" the ODST called out.

Ezra expertly deflected several blaster shots and jumped back into the trench.

"Haar'chak Ezra you scared the life out of me!" Sabine shouted.

"It was either that or let the Empire break our line!" Ezra shot back.

"Hey you two now's not the time!" Kelly-087 shouted as she shot down a firing line of stormtroopers.

The Imperial line was just about to overrun the UNSC line when the ground lit up orange for a few quick seconds. Somebody called out "INCOMING" just a few moments before several dozen pods hit the ground at a time between the retreating UNSC soldiers and the advancing Imperials. The Stormtroopers looked confused just as the pod doors were blown off and fresh ODST soldiers and fresh gunfire filled the battlefield. The Imperial walkers were about to fire upon the new soldiers when they suddenly exploded, along with the Imperial front line.

"What is going on?" Ezra asked.

An ODST pulled off his helmet and grinned, "Reinforcements..."

Longsword strike fighters bombed the Imperials as the Broadswords shot down TIE fighters before they could shoot at the Longswords. The Imperial line shattered at the fresh might of the UNSC.

"Walker! Walker!" a soldier called out as an AT-AT appeared from around a large building.

Several large soldiers ran up to the massive walker and just knelt in front of it.

"What are they doi-"

 _BOOM_

The ground shook as a large guided bomb struck the side of the tall walker, throwing it to the ground in several pieces.

The Imperial forces began a full retreat to the center of the city, expecting the UNSC troops to follow, but they didn't.

Soon, the gunfire was replaced by shouts for medics, status reports, squad after squad of marines and ODSTs reporting in to squad leaders. A separate, but very noticeable, group of soldiers stood around and looked at the remaining UNSC troops and back towards the Imperial line somewhere inside the remains of the city.

Ezra looked at the damage in and around the city and cringed. There were bodies everywhere belonging to both the UNSC and the Empire.

"This is war?" he asked Sabine, who stood a little behind him.

"Yes..." she said.

"This is what your people suffered for millenia?"

"Yes. I'm sorry this had to happen to Lothal, Ezra."

"No, don't apologize. I knew this was the only way. We have to evacuate the city while we have the chance," he said.

"I couldn't agree more," a rough voice said. Ezra turned around and found Master Chief standing behind him. "The calvary will be here soon. Best we evacuate the city immediately."

"What's coming?" Ezra asked.

"You'll see. If we have reinforcements here, then there's bound to have been reinforcements in orbit. However we seem to have lost contact with _Infinity,"_ Chief said before walking away.

"Where are you going?" Sabine asked.

"To take a look around," he simply replied.

"Chief it's too dangerous..." Sabine called out, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"He'll be fine," an ODST said. "Hate Spartans but without them we wouldn't be here. Got to give them that."

"Are they really that strong?" Ezra asked.

"You wouldn't believe it."

...

Thrawn looked out of his star destroyer's viewscreen at the massive UNSC armada before him. They've held their fire for now but for how long nobody knows.

"Grand Admiral?"

He doesn't know what to do for the first time in his career. He doesn't know their military power, their tactics and strategies, or even their artwork. The only reason he was able to really hurt the Rebels was because he knows where they came from and what their art is like; especially Sabine Wren's work. This UNSC however has never shown any sign of their art, or their history for that matter. But that doesn't deter him either.

"Hold position. I'm curious what these people are up to."

"What was that they launched to the surface?" an officer asked.

"I don't know, but they have soldiers on the ground. It could have been some kind of supply drop," Thrawn said. "But why they would send so many pods down is beyond me."

"Should we send for more reinforcements?"

"No, bring the fleet above the city. They can't engage us while risking killing all their soldiers on the ground."

"What about any ground fire?"

"They plan to liberate this planet, not destroy it. Shooting down our ships will only bring us crashing down on them," Thrawn said.

"They'd be trapped!" Constantine exclaimed.

The remains of 7th fleet began a reentry burn and descended towards the planet.

...

"Captain, the enemy fleet is burning towards the planet! Should we open fire?" a tactical officer called out.

"Negative do not fire! We could hit our troops on the ground," Lasky said. _This is not good._

"Notify the ground units!"

...

 _"~~inco~~ng~~~~"_

The static in the radios overtook the comms, cutting communications between the soldiers and the ships in orbit once again.

"What was that about?" Ezra asked.

"Something about reentry burn and incoming?" Sabine suggested.

"Something's coming, we should be ready for it," Linda-058 said.

"Where's Chief?" Fred asked.

"He's still somewhere around the city," Ezra said.

"He has a habit of doing that, but we can't stop him," the ODSTs said.

"He's the best Spartan of us all. Nothing can stop him," Kelly said.

"Let's hope so," Ezra said. "Because I think I know what your guys up top were trying to tell us."

Everybody looked up just as the Chimaera and the rest of 7th fleet blocked out the sun.

"Everybody find cover!" Ezra shouted.

Everybody scrambled for any form of cover they could find, keeping their eyes on the Imperial front line and the warships.

"What's going on?" a marine asked.

"This is just like Mombasa all over again!" Buck shouted.

Anybody that doesn't have cover fall in on a Spartan," Chief called out as he crested a hill.

ODSTs and regular marines gathered in groups of 10 and surrounded one of the 12 Spartans deployed. As soon as everybody gathered, the Spartans pulled out a bubble shield generator and waited.

"Do not go far from your Spartan. If they open fire we'll deploy the shields."

"Wait a second," Ezra said, pointing to a different point in the sky. "I don't think those star destroyers will fire."

"Ezra's right. If they kill us they'd be destroyed. _Infinity_ 's right over there waiting."

"Along with half of our reinforcements," Buck said. "Which could still overpower this Imperial fleet."

"Yeah but this is Thrawn we're talking about. We're probably his bargaining chip right now. If the UNSC fires at them, we'd die. If they fire, we'd die from falling debris and maybe ship to ground bombardment. He's got us trapped," Sabine said.

"Nobody said anything about the Imperials on the ground. I think those are artillery shells incoming," a marine said pointing to streaks of arcing plasma.

The Spartans threw down the shield generators just in time as the Imperial artillery fell on their position. The energy shells however dissipated against the shield bubble.

"These shields can't hold for long. Everybody stay here," Chief said through the comms as he ran out of his shield and towards the Imperial position.

"What's he doing?" Ezra asked.

"Likely going to paint the targets for an airstrike," Buck said. He had Ezra and Sabine in his shield.

"Paint the targets?"

"Laser guided bombs," Buck simplified.

"That makes sense. We don't have anything that can knock out their artillery," Sabine said. The bombardment continued for another minute until the sound of jets were heard flying over their heads. In the distance, not too far from everything, massive explosions shook the ground and the shelling stopped. The last bolt of energy flew towards a group of marines and the shield dissipated just before it hit, killing everybody around. The Spartan jumped in front of the shell in a futile attempt to save the group.

Before anybody could do anything else, the air was filled with blaster fire once again as the stormtroopers advanced on the UNSC position. Marines and ODSTs and Spartans all lined up to their cover and returned fire. Several UNSC soldiers fell to the Imperial forces, but the Empire didn't fare any better.

"We need to get those star destroyers out of here!" Sabine shouted.

Ezra knelt behind cover and looked up at the warships. He knew what he has to do.

"I need to get up there," he said.

"What?" Sabine asked, not quite hearing what he said.

"Can you cover me?"

"What are you talking about?" Sabine asked.

"I'm going up there," Ezra said.

"No way. I'm not letting you."

"You said we needed to get those destroyers out of here and I know just how to do that!" Ezra shouted.

"Ezra those ships are packed with Imperials!"

"There's no other way!"

"Hey you two what's this about?" Buck asked as he ran over.

"Ezra wants to get to one of those star destroyers. He says he has a plan to get rid of them," Sabine said.

"What's stopping him?"

"There's Imperials on those ships! He wouldn't last!"

"Not unless I surrender myself to them," Ezra says suddenly. Sabine stared at him.

"What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to save our skins. War is never without sacrifice, right?"

Sabine couldn't think of anything to reason with him. She knew he was going to find his way aboard the Chimaera one way or another with or without help.

"Then I'm coming with you," Sabine said.

"Sabine no, I have to do this alone," Ezra said.

"I'm not changing my mind, Ezra. If you go I go."

There was some silence between the two for a moment.

"Fine," Ezra said. "But I can't guarantee getting off in time."

 _That won't matter,_ Sabine thought, _As long as I'm with you._

"You have a way up there?" Buck asked.

"I have a jetpack," Sabine said as she pointed her thumb to her back. "We can try flying up."

"There scanners would pick us up," Ezra said.

"I have something that might work," Buck said, handing them something. "It's an active camouflage. It will make you invisible to eyes and scanners until the power runs out or momentarily when you fire a weapon."

"Invisible? Like a persona cloaking device?" Ezra asked.

"That's pretty much what he just said, Ezra," Sabine sighed.

A bunch of Pelicans approached the battlefield and dropped their loads. Warthogs and Scorpion tanks were deployed with their respective crews and they thundered past the UNSC line towards the Imperial line. Scorpions clashed with Imperial TX-130T fighter tanks in armored warfare while the Warthogs, armed with M343A1 chainguns, M555 Gauss cannons, and some even had mounted M80 missile launchers, swarmed Imperial infantry and took out any remaining AT-DP walkers.

"This is the calvary Chief promised us?" Sabine asked in awe.

"Yup. The military might of the UNSC. Unfortunately wasn't always successful against the Covenant during the early years of the war, but in the end we won," Buck said. "Don't you guys have a fleet to get rid of?"

"Oh sorry Ezra. I'm ready," Sabine said and they gripped each others wrists. "Hang on tight." She activated her jetpack and as they approached the ventral hangar of the Chimaera, Ezra activated the Active Camo. Immediately they seemed to disappear from thin air.

...

"Captain, the enemy fleet is still not moving. Our armored units made it to the ground safely and are currently engaged in armored warfare," Roland reported.

"Good. We should try not to destroy any more buildings. The surface was already a wreck when we arrived and I don't want to make it any worse," Lasky said. "What's the status of our orbital fleet?"

"They have recovered all Rebel personnel and are ready to jump to Yavin, sir."

"Captain," a female voice said as the bridge doors opened and closed.

"Sarah, I thought you would have been on the ground," Lasky said.

"I'm sitting out on this one. Those SSDs knocked me about pretty good," Palmer said showing her bandaged arm. "Stray metal; of all the things that could have defeated me it's an inanimate object."

"You the only Spartan here?"

"No, about two others have been injured enough plus much of the crew and soldiers. We've sent all that are able to fight to the surface."

"Do we have any Mantis on the ground?" Lasky asked.

"Negative, though we can deploy them after the battle for extra security," Roland said.

"We might need them for the assault on that TIE Defender factory as well, but the city is top priority. The sooner we liberate that, the easier it will be to take out that factory," Lasky said.

"Sir, liberating the city should automatically halt Defender production," Sarah said.

"If the Empire tries to take this planet back after we liberate it, then there shouldn't be anything they can produce," Lasky pointed out.

"I ran a scan on the city, sir," Roland said. "There's a fuel depot not too far from the factory itself. It keeps the production lines running and without it, they can't produce any more TIEs."

"That's exactly what we need to hit," Lasky said.

"You said liberate the city and then hit the factory. We should hit the factory first and then finish the liberation," Sarah said. "With that factory there with production lines running, the Empire would have a foothold and a potential fortress to hunker down in."

"I'm inclined to agree," the XO said. "But don't forget that massive dome in the center of the city. That's likely their real fortress right there."

"Captain, something's happening to the enemy ship!" an officer shouted.

...

"Ezra I got the override. How's everything on the Bridge?" Sabine asked through her helmet comms.

She heard nothing except static.

"Ezra, do you hear me?"

 _More static..._

"Ezra, are you there?"

Once again there was no reply, so she ran out of the engine room and made her way to the bridge, shooting any stormtroopers that got in her way. When she finally made it, she found a squad of stormtroopers outside the bridge trying to get in.

"Hey you! Stay right where you are!" a soldier ordered Sabine.

"Not a chance, bucketheads," she replied as they got in a firefight.

She didn't want to, but she had to throw a detonator at the soldiers to clear the door. As the smoke cleared, she ran up to the control panel, which was already broken into, and tried to open the door but with no results. She pounded on the door and called for Ezra when her comms went off.

"Sabine, that ship looks like it's going to jump, you and Ezra need to get out of there!" Buck called through the comm.

"I don't know Ezra's condition," Sabine replied frantically. "He won't answer his comms."

" _I hear you, Sabine,_ " Ezra said through the static. _"You should get off while you can._ "

"No!" Sabine yelled through the comms, "I won't leave you!"

" _Sabine please. You need to finish this battle for me!"_ Ezra pleaded.

"Not a chance, Bridger. If you go I go, remember?"

" _No Sabine. Don't do that to yourself._ "

"Ezra open the bridge doors right now!" Sabine ordered.

" _Isn't there stormtroopers..._ "

"I cleared them out already, it's just me on the other side," Sabine answered.

A few moments later, the doors finally opened and Sabine ran inside to see a badly injured Ezra supporting himself against a control panel.

"Ezra!" Sabine cried out, running to him.

"I told you... to just go," he whispered.

 _"Sabine, this is Buck, what's Ezra's status?"_

"He's injured," she replied.

"Buck," Ezra began, "we're not going to be able to get off the ship in time. Do me a favor and finish this fight for me, will you?"

 _"We never leave a man behind,"_ Buck said.

"You're not leaving anybody behind. This is our sacrifice so you can finish this mission," Ezra said with some difficulty. Sabine could tell his consciousness was beginning to slip.

He had a blaster wound on his shoulder and a gash on his head. His arm looked like it was broken. Off in one of the pits, Thrawn was being held against a console.

"Ezra..." Sabine murmured.

"I... can't hold on for much longer. Sabine you need to... restrain him while I have him pinned," Ezra said, his voice beginning to fade.

"Alright," she replied. If Thrawn was freed he could very well regain control of his ship. She can't fight him alone and with Ezra in his current condition, he wouldn't be able to fight.

She grabbed a few restraining cuffs and quickly cuffed both of Thrawn's wrists to an armrest on the consoles. She then placed a few motion-sense Mandalorian shock charges at his feet so if he tried to get out of the cuffs he would get zapped until he fell unconscious.

Thrawn seemed to relax a bit and he tried to struggle, but the charges zapped him almost instantly.

 _Ezra,_ Sabine thought as she ran back to him.

"Sabine, Ezra's not responding to his comms. Is he out?" Buck asked.

Sabine felt for a pulse and sighed in relief when she found one, but he was not conscious.

"He passed out, but alive. I can try to get him off the ship before it jumps," Sabine said. But right as she said it, the ship lurched as it jumped to hyperspace.


	13. Stranded on Installation 07

**Chapter 13**

With the Chimaera absent from battle and the rest of the fleet with a power gap, the Imperial forces had no choice but to regroup in orbit. However, many officers who knew Thrawn well knew he wouldn't want them to leave their positions. Unfortunately for them, they really didn't have a choice. Thrawn was the only Imperial officer in that fleet that had a chance against the UNSC battle fleet in front of them and he wasn't there anymore.

"They did it..." Buck said. "The Imperial fleet is retreating."

"Not retreating," Chief said. "They're heading to orbit to regroup and think of a strategy."

"Let me guess, Cortana tracked their trajectory?" Kelly asked.

Chief answered that question by continuing to fire at the Imperial troops between them and the factory. The rest of the UNSC teams were able to easily clear out the houses between them and the factory as well, eventually trapping the Empire in their own factory. Many people in the rebel cell on Lothal joined the fight by helping the marines navigate the city; which places are good for snipers, which areas to try to avoid due to criminals, though many ODSTs took the responsibility to clear that out as well, and even which areas are good makeshift strongholds.

"Captain Lasky, the Imperial fleet is retreating to orbit," Chief said.

 _"We see that Master Chief. All thanks to Commanders Bridger and Wren,"_ Lasky said. "Roland, notify our orbital fleet. We cannot let those Imperials reorganize."

"With pleasure, Captain," Roland said.

...

 _Silence_

 _Nothing on any known comm channel._

 _What was that UNSC channel frequency?_

 _Where are we?_

Sabine gasped as she woke up to find herself still on the Imperial SD bridge, but something wasn't right. The glass was broken and there was no air anymore in the room. She quickly realized she was wearing her helmet and looked around for Ezra. She found him floating about the bridge, still unconscious by the looks of it.

 _Or maybe dead..._

Sabine quickly floated over to him and found a scout helmet on him. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then found Thrawn. His eyes were a pale red and his mouth was wide open. His wrists were cut as if he was struggling. She snatched a blaster from space and poked Thrawn with it. He was definitely dead.

 _I almost feel bad for him. Almost._

She returned to Ezra and, using her jetpack, flew him to the med center in the ship. With a bit of difficulty she was finally able to restore power to only the med room. The air support kicked in, as did the artificial gravity. Sabine wasn't prepared for Ezra's dead weight and she almost dropped him, but to her surprise she didn't. She managed to get him onto the medical table and checked on his wounds. He wasn't in good shape, but definitely will live.

"Kriff, Ezra why did you have to do this?" Sabine asked him, though he could hear her.

"Because... Mission comes first, right?" he groaned, surprising Sabine.

"I thought you weren't awake!"

"Just woke up... OW!"

"Sit still... I'm going to patch you up, don't worry," Sabine said.

"Where are we?" Ezra asked.

"I don't know... I was barely lucky enough to get power back into this room."

Ezra nodded.

She finished patching him up and helped him sit up. He could stand but he needed her support.

"I'm going to try to restore power to the bridge... and clean something up," Sabine said.

"Alright... I guess I'll be here."

Sabine left the med center and made her way to the bridge. She had to open the doors only big enough for her to fit and she quickly shut them as soon as she made it to the other side.

"There must be a breach somewhere else on the ship," she noted.

She made it to the bridge and started connecting power generators she found floating about the halls to the consoles. She finally managed to get the air support and gravity working in the bridge, energy shields preventing the air from escaping again. She couldn't help but watch as Thrawn's body crumpled to the ground, only being held up by the restrains.

"Great. Now I have to get rid of him..."

She clipped the restrains and his arms fell down next to him. Sabine picked him up and looked for a place to hide him. She eyed the energy shields and shrugged.

"I hate to do this, but there's nowhere else to put you," Sabine muttered as she dragged Thrawn's corpse towards the front and threw him out the shielded window. His body floated about, but as she watched, she noticed something in the distance. It looked like a... ring of some kind...

And it was growing rapidly.

She quickly got Ezra to the bridge.

"Doesn't look like cleaning to me," Ezra muttered.

"I was getting rid of Thrawn," Sabine said.

"He's dead?"

Sabine nodded. "I can tell it wasn't a peaceful death either. Must have died during the hyperspace jump. The glass is all shattered so something happened."

"I can see that. From the looks on everything I'm surprised everything is intact," Ezra said.

"Me too. By the way I saw something in the distance. We're drifting right to it I think and it looks big," Sabine said.

Ezra looked out the front and saw the growing ring in the distance. "Is that a ring?"

"Yeah something like that."

"If we're going to it then there's only one way to find out," Ezra groaned.

As they talked, the ship lurched and shuddered violently. Something was pulling at them.

"What's happening?" Ezra asked.

"I don't know," Sabine shouted over the noise. She looked out front again and noticed everything was starting to turn orange. "Are we near a planet?"

"I don't think so," Ezra said. "I didn't see anything other than that... ring..."

The ship began to break apart and Sabine paled, "Oh no... the shields!"

"What about them?"

"They're not online! We're going through a fast reentry without shields!"

That clicked for Ezra. "Oh kriff."

"Hang on to something!" Sabine shouted.

...

"Master Chief, the Imperials have barricaded themselves in the factory. What are your orders?" a marine asked.

"We need to destroy the facility. Call in an airstrike, paint the target."

"Yes sir!"

"We need our tanks to move up! Cover our man!" Buck shouted.

"Yes sir!"

" _Infinity_ , this is Sierra-117," Chief said.

"We hear you, Chief. Send it."

"We need a missile ready for that factory. We'll paint the target," Chief said.

"Acknowledged, Chief."

The radio cracked then, "We're in position."

"Send it!"

Moments later, a missile from one of the destroyers destroyed the TIE Defender factory and everything in it.

"Heavy battalions, move up!"

All the tanks and warthogs advanced and some Pelicans deployed a few Mantis for group security. As they all advanced towards the central Dome, the Imperial resistance grew heavier, forcing several tanks to take point again. A rocket incapacitated a warthog, but the soldier who launched it was quickly taken out by a Mantis pilot. Before anybody knew it, they were right on the front steps of the Dome. By now it was getting dark again so it was easy for the Marines to hide in the shadows in alleys. They had the entire complex surrounded.

Through their infrared scopes, the Marines could see Imperials at base gun emplacements and even the energy signatures of several auto defense turrets.

"I guess they don't call this thing a fortress for nothing," Buck said.

"Indeed," Kelly said.

" _Infinity_ , the remaining Imperials have barricaded themselves in the Dome in the center of the city. How should we proceed?" an ODST squad leader called in.

"We don't want to kill everyone, but if they want to fight to the last man then so be it," Lasky replied.

"Yes, sir."

UNSC snipers shot down all the manned positions around the base of the facility while the Scorpion tanks cleared the auto turrets, leaving the Imperials inside without any defenses. It was a clear message to them from the UNSC; surrender or die.

The Imperial garrison commander sounded the surrender and allowed the UNSC forces control of the planet; however, he simultaneously promised the Empire will return and take back the planet.

"I'd like to see them try," a marine said.

"You've never seen the full power of the Empire," the Imp commander said.

"And you have never seen the full power of the UNSC now have you? Not to mention our Covenant allies, who can wipe your planets clean of any form of life."

"We have technology like that."

"Uninhabitable?"

"Worse."

"I don't think your Empire would destroy this planet," Chief said.

"Why do you say that?"

"This planet is important to you isn't it?"

"Not to me, but to the Empire. But there are many more planets we can use. You may have won this battle, but the war will be ours," the commander said.

Buck's face hardened, "We shall see."

Chief looked to some of the ODSTs. "Have you located a prison block?"

"Yes sir."

"Take these men there and keep them secured."

The ODST nodded and they all escorted the surrendered Imperials to the cell blocks.

"I take it we won't destroy this facility?" Buck asked the Chief.

"No. There's a lot we can learn from this. Get those rebel ground units here. We can use their expertise in these matters," Chief said.

"Right away."

...

Ezra was the first to wake up, surprisingly to him. Considering his injuries he should have been the last person to wake up. He struggled to stand up and picked up a stick from the ground to use as a crutch. The area around him was covered with upturned dirt, sticks, pieces of metal and glass, all sorts of things from the shipwreck. He hobbled around the trail, trying to gather a bearing of where he was and was astonished to find a massive arc above his head.

"Woah..." he muttered. "What... is this place?"

He heard something moving behind him and he turned around. Something was climbing out of the debris.

 _Sabine_

He made his way over to the debris and lifted it off of Sabine with the Force. She was barely conscious.

"Sabine!" Ezra pulled her out of the wreckage and she began coughing.

"Great. Now we're both hurt," she said, clutching her left leg.

"I think you'll need this more than I do," Ezra said handing her his makeshift crutch and helping her up. "Broken?"

"No. I think I just sprained something," she said. "The... crash threw me somewhere and I must've hit something."

Both were wondering how they were still alive. They crashed a ship without any power after all. Before they could say anything more, they saw a bunch of lights in the distance heading towards them.

"As much as I would like to ask for help from these people, I think it's best we hide," Sabine said.

"Why?" he asked. He looked over to her and noticed she was using her ocular zoom on her helmet.

"Covenant ships, and I don't think they're friendly," Sabine said.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm reading power levels, so I'm guessing they have weapons charged."

Ezra thought a moment. "Let's just watch them and see if they're friendly."

"No contact," Sabine warned.

"Alright, I won't make contact. Let's go," Ezra replied.

The two rebels found a decently large tree nearby and he Force lifted Sabine onto it before climbing up himself.

"You shouldn't work yourself so hard. You're still hurt," Sabine groaned.

"Don't worry about me," Ezra grinned. "I'm fine."

"Ezra..."

"Hm?"

"Did I ever tell you that you've become a bit... reckless?"

"Never said anything, but I'm aware of it. I try not to be," Ezra said.

"You need to be more careful. I... I don't want to lose you," Sabine said.

"Sabine..." Ezra gasped.

Sabine gripped his arm, "Remember all I said back on Yavin when you were thinking of leaving. I meant all of it and I don't take a single thing back."

Ezra was silent. _She really cares that much?_

Sabine managed to pull herself closer to Ezra into a hug.

"We can get through this," she whispered.

Ezra nodded and returned her hug when the sound of something like a speeder passed their tree.

"What is that?" Ezra asked.

Sabine tapped around on her wrist computer and opened a saved file.

"Here... according to UNSC records, that's called a Ghost," she said.

They heard a lot of angry yelling at the crash site, and some Phantoms flew over their hiding spot, spotlights shining on the crash.

"Well they could be angry we're not there and they're trying to find us?" Ezra asked.

"No wait. These guys look different than the Covenant allied with the USNC," Sabine noticed. She spotted somebody very familiar. The very Covenant officer she never wanted to see again.

The look must have shone on her face, because she took off her helmet when she saw him.

"What's wrong?" Ezra asked.

"It's him. The one that tortured me," she said.

Ezra's attitude changed.

"Where," he said in a menacing tone.

"Ezra don't go down there. It's too dangerous," she pleaded. "It's not worth it."

"You are worth it. I can't let this guy hurt you and get away with it."

"You're going to have to right now. Neither of us are in any condition to fight."

Ezra was silent for a moment before giving in to Sabine's pleas.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But one day I will fight him."

Believe me you don't want to," Sabine said, handing Ezra some macrobinoculars. "The big hairy guy."

Ezra found him. "He looks almost like a wookie and a lasat had a baby."

Any other time, Sabine would have laughed, but this was not a good time.

"We should get moving, but we can't go anywhere with that injury," Ezra said.

"Or any of yours. You can barely stand yourself," Sabine pointed out. She moved her foot slightly and winced, inhaling quickly through her teeth. "You wouldn't happen to know Force healing, would you?"

"No... I don't," he replied simply.

"You're not going to ask how I know about that ability?"

"Nope. I know you well enough. Working with two Jedi would mean learning of their abilities. You do your research," Ezra said.

Sabine grinned, "Alright then."

There was a sound of crunching metal and the two looked over to see a Sangheili stopping on the broken hull of the Star Destroyer.

"Do we have a beacon?" Ezra asked.

"Yes, but those Covenant could pick it up. They likely have picked up all channel frequencies for our comms," Sabine answered while shaking her head.

A light suddenly began shining around their area and Ezra dropped to a prone position. Sabine rolled over to a prone position as well, but silently yelped because of her leg.

The light shone right on their hiding spot and they heard chatter. They heard the hum of a ship's engines and Ezra spotted a Phantom making its way to them.

"Ezra?" Sabine asked, hoping he had a plan.

He closed his eyes and threw a Mind Trick on the pilot, making him head elsewhere. He also threw one towards the Covenant troops below, giving them the same result.

Sabine breathed a sigh of relief, "Good thinking."

"That ought to buy us some time."

Sabine thought for a moment, "You know, there's one frequency that only top commanders of the Rebellion knows. I don't even think the UNSC knows about it."

"If we set the beacon channel to that frequency then we could contact Rebel command and potentially the UNSC!" Ezra said, finishing Sabine's thought.

She smiled, "Exactly!" Carefully, she crawled to the trunk of the tree and sat against it, pulling out a small handheld signal beacon from a pouch on her belt.

"Even though it's small, it's got really good range," she said as she set it up. Moments later, there was a small blinking green light.

"Beacon's active. Now we just wait..." Sabine said.

...

"Admiral!" a comms officer shouted.

The fleet admiral approached the officer. "What is it lieutenant?"

"I'm picking up some sort of distress beacon from Installation 07!"

"Installation 07? Are you sure that's right?" the admiral asked.

"Yes sir. I've triple checked the signal. It's coming from there."

"Nav, set a course for Installation 07, immediately!"

The _UNSC Spirit of Fire_ jumped to slipspace to intercept the distress signal.

"Send a message to Command. We've got something."

"Yes sir!"

...

"We've picked up a distress signal from Installation 07. It was caught on that emergency channel your rebel friends entrusted to us."

Lasky's head snapped to Hera, who looked surprised. "What's installation 07?"

"It's a deadly weapon designed to rid the galaxy of all live in a matter of moments. There's been several installations found, few of them destroyed when the Covenant at the time tried to use it. If Ezra and Sabine are indeed there, then there's a problem."

"What kind of problem?"

"Installation 07 is in the Sagittarius arm of our galaxy," Lasky said.

"What? How did they get way over there?" Hera asked.

"I don't know," Lasky said.

Since the arrival of the new UNSC battle fleet, they've discovered a way to get near live comms. Advanced communication relays were constructed within the Milky Way galaxy to send a powerful signal straight to UNSC ships in the other galaxy.

"If I may ask," Hera began, pausing to receive permission to continue, which she was granted. "Why did you risk losing so many powerful warships to fighting the Empire?"

A half a minute went by before the UNSC High Command replied. "We have begun research on intergalactic jumps via powerful jump gates. Uses our slipspace technology, but powerful forces throw ships farther and faster. However, they require so much power to use per jump it takes about a week to recharge the gates. It takes a few hours to get all the way there however. The ships I sent are full of the required parts to construct a gate there as well. I believe we can use that opportunity to get your people back to where they belong."

"I feel this would create a security problem as well. If the Empire discovers this gate..."

"That's why we cannot let that happen. Our own gate here is stationed around our sun, heavily shielded thanks to the Covenant here."

"How long will it take to construct this gate?" Lasky asked.

"A few months, but if we recover your people, General Syndulla, we will send them back. UNSC _Spirit of Fire_ is already enroute to the installation."

...

Meanwhile, a slipspace rupture appeared next to the Halo array and the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_ appeared from it.

"This is UNSC _Spirit of Fire_. If anybody on this frequency reads me, please respond," the admiral said through the comms.

...

Sabine and Ezra were just trying to rest. It was pretty dark wherever they were. Fortunately that darkness let Ezra see something appear out of nowhere. He watched as a small object appeared from the blue spot in space.

"Slipspace rupture... Sabine!" Ezra said, shaking her shoulder to wake her.

"Mmm... What is it? Something wrong?" she groaned sleepily.

"I just saw a slipspace rupture," he whispered. Sabine woke up immediately.

"What? Where?"

Ezra pointed to the point in the sky where he saw it. "It's gone now, but somebody's here."

Sabine pulled on her helmet and followed Ezra's arm, using her ocular zoom to get a better look. She gasped.

"Ezra that looks like a UNSC ship!"

Ezra's head snapped towards the ship, though it was still a long way off. By now they could see its silhouette off by another part of the ring.

"Ezra, check the comms!" Sabine said.

He tried to get the comms to work, but he couldn't hear even static. "I think our comms are fried. What about that beacon you set up?"

Sabine shook her head, "It only triangulates the general area. It doesn't pinpoint our position."

"Maybe you can modify it to pinpoint it?" Ezra suggested.

"I don't know if I can..."

"Laser?"

"We're not shooting at it!" Sabine exclaimed.

"Not what I meant," Ezra said as he pulled a couple lenses out of his pocket. "Give me your helmet."

Sabine pulled off her helmet and handed it to him, "What are you up to?"

"Something Buck taught me..." Ezra said as he carefully positioned the lenses in front of the small flashlight on Sabine's helmet.

"The light's detachable you know," Sabine mused.

"Right," Ezra said embarrassed as he unclipped the light from the helmet. He continued to work with what he had and tested it out on the tree. Sure enough, it was like a bright white laser sight.

"Now we do this..." Ezra said as he pointed his new toy at the UNSC ship. Sabine put on her helmet and activated her ocular zoom. She could see the light through the air.

"Go down a little bit, then right..." she directed. _I bet the Covenant can see this, too._

Ezra was struggling to find his spot so Sabine had to take over.

"Let me..."

Ezra handed her the laser and she was able to direct it to the ship's windows.

...

"Captain, there's a light!"

"Where?" the admiral asked just before the light hit his eyes as well.

"Could those be the missing rebels?"

"Maybe. Approach with full caution."

...

The ship changed course and began headed their way.

"It's coming!" Sabine exclaimed excited.

"Yeah well... they're not the only ones coming," Ezra said. "Look behind us."

Sabine turned around and an entire force of Covenant troops was running towards them.

"Kriff... they must have seen the beam!" Sabine said.

"Looks like we'll need to fight after all. Running's not an option."

Ezra grabbed his lightsaber and held it, not activating it yet as Sabine pulled out her two WESTAR-35 pistols. A Covenant marksman spotted them and fired a shot and seconds later a firefight ensued.

* * *

 **To be continued...**


	14. The City

**Chapter 14**

"This is intense!" Sabine shouted over the firefight. Ezra was deflecting, or absorbing, as many shots as he could, occasionally having to dodge a few shots. They noticed a few of the grunts had a weapon that shot something like needles at them. They were still on the tree branch so they had a height advantage, but the enemy had the numbers and not to mention the two Rebels are injured.

"These needles are going everywhere! They seem to be following me," Ezra said as he narrowly avoided a needle to the chest.

The UNSC ship still approached their position, but they were running out of time.

Sabine ducked behind the branch to vent excess heat from her blasters and she took the time to really look around. The height they had on the branch really gave them a good view of a disgusting yellow-green scenery.

"Ezra something isn't right..." Sabine said. He ducked behind cover as well.

"What do you mean?"

"Look over there," she said, pointing to the disgusting mass around them. "That does not look natural."

Their comms began buzzing with static and a voice was heard.

"Commanders Wren and Bridger! This is Captain James Cutter of the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_. Do you read me?"

Sabine scrambled for the comms.

"Yes! We hear you!"

"Good. ~~ This is a dangerous~~~ spot. We need to get ~~~ out of he~~."

"Captain, your breaking up!" Sabine shouted into the comm.

Just then a loud screech was heard as something like a rocket flew towards the UNSC ship. The projectile smashed against the ship's shields and mere seconds afterwards, several guns from the ship fired upon the Covenant forces, forcing them to fall back. Parts of the shield opened up and a Pelican flew out of the hangars towards the two injured Rebels.

The bay doors opened and a bunch of ODSTs jumped out onto the branch while regular Marines helped bring Ezra and Sabine on board. As they did, the Covenant forces returned and began shooting at the base of the branch. The ODSTs returned fire and the gunners on the Pelican provided a little more support. However, as everybody was boarding the Pelican, a small pack of rogue needles from a Needler arched and nailed Sabine in the shoulder, leg, and a shard pierced the body suit on her back. It wasn't the full needle, but just a fragment; nevertheless it was still potentially deadly. She was knocked out almost immediately.

After Ezra and Sabine were secured, the ODSTs jumped back onto the Pelican as the tree branch broke off.

"We're going to perform a combat landing. Brace yourselves back there," the pilot said. The lights in the Pelican turned red.

"Are we in a rush because there's a lot of Covenant?" a tired Ezra asked.

A marine medic spoke while he helped Sabine, his face slightly pale. "No... Much worse."

"What's worse than the Covenant?" Ezra asked. He saw Sabine and he also paled.

"It's not about your friend. You don't want to know, but you will eventually need to know," an ODST said grimly.

"Okay..." Ezra said. The Pelican docked into the _Spirit of Fire_ , but since it was a combat landing, they slid a few meters before coming to a stop.

The boarding ramp opened and ship medical officers helped the two off the Pelican. Sabine was put on a stretcher and taken to the medical bay.

"Sir, the Captain would like to speak with you," a guard said.

"I need to stay with Sabine!" Ezra said, almost shouting over the nearby alarm.

"She'll be fine, but right now you need to come with me!"

Ezra reluctantly nodded and followed the guard to the bridge. The ship shuddered for a few moments leading Ezra to guess their engines were set flank speed. They made it to the bridge and walked inside.

"Engines at full power, Captain. Slipspace should be available to us within 5 minutes."

"I suppose that will have to do for now," a man said. Ezra and the guard walked up to the man and he looked up.

"Captain, I got him," the guard said.

"You must be Commander Bridger," the man said. "I'm Captain James Cutter of the UNSC _Spirit of Fire_. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you, sir," Ezra said.

"Commander Wren has been hit by a needler, three times actually. One in the shoulder, one in the back of the leg, and a small fragment in her back, but she seemed stable for the moment," a bridge medical officer reported. "I just got the report," she added then as she handed Cutter the physical report.

He looked over the report and sighed. "She's alive, that's what's important."

"Captain, 3 minutes to Slipspace," the nav reported.

"Reroute all available power to the slipspace drive, we have to jump now," Cutter said.

"Yes sir!"

"What's the rush, Captain?" Ezra asked.

"The Halo installation who were stranded on is infected. You two were lucky you crashed in one of the only areas not infected... yet anyways," Cutter replied.

"Infected? As in some sort of disease?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"It can be treated can't it?" Ezra asked.

"No. Even the Covenant or even the Forerunners can't find a cure for this," Cutter replied, motioning to the installation with his hand.

Ezra was able to get a good look at the ring and noticed it really did look like it was infected.

"I didn't see that before..." Ezra said.

"You guys are lucky. As for those Covenant... They are desperate for escape, but those are the remnants that still want to kill us. That's why they were there, but they failed to notice the installation was infected."

"Is Sabine and I infected?" Ezra asked.

"No you two are clear. If you were... you would definitely know," the medic said.

"What are the symptoms?" Ezra asked.

"That's unclear, but we know for sure you would die then come back as something horrible," Cutter said. "That Halo ring is under strict quarantine. If this infection is released back into the galaxy, we will all eventually succumb to it."

"Wait which galaxy are we in?" Ezra asked.

"You're in the Milky Way. How you two got here we don't know, but you really are a long way from home," Cutter said.

"Are... Are we able to get home?"

Cutter smiled, "We actually just recently finished researching a kind of jump technology using a stargate. The reinforcements we sent used that gate successfully. Last I heard, your planet was liberated, but at a heavy cost." The smile was gone when he got to that part.

"How many soldiers?"

"Almost 200 Marines died and that's excluding the ODSTs and Spartans. At least 40 ODST were killed and 2 Spartans."

"And... the civilians?"

"We estimate about half of the original population didn't survive. Reports say the marines cleared the houses, but found corpses instead. Blaster shots to the chest and head... The Empire must have executed them before we got to them. Many other civilians were caught within the bombing from both sides."

Ezra collapsed into a chair and raised his hand to his face. "So many... For my planet..."

"It's what we wanted to do. The UNSC is at war against the Empire now. This is just the beginning," Cutter said.

"Captain, we're clear for slipspace!"

"Do it!"

The ship shuddered as they passed through the slipspace rupture and they were on their way to the Sol System.

"Captain, we're detecting something strange in the cargo bay," an officer reported.

"Do you know what it is?" Cutter asked.

"Negative, but whatever we're reading it's giving off lifesigns."

"Send a team down there immediately."

"Yes sir!" the officer said as he began directing two teams to the cargo bay.

"They found them," Chief said and everybody in the room let out a sigh of relief.

"Are they alright?" Hera asked.

"They are. They're enroute to our home star to send them back here," Chief said. "But they'll have to meet with our central Command on Earth first. They've been wanting to meet with you guys in person for a while and they can't pass this chance while they have it."

Hera nodded, "Understood."

"Lucky them, I say," Buck said. "I'd do anything to see Earth again, though it's not my home planet."

"What do you mean by that?" Hera asked.

"The UNSC is basically our military in space. We have colonized several worlds and eventually filled all the planets. I was born on a colonized world called Draco III," Buck explained.

"However, no matter what planet we are born on," Kelly began, "Earth was our home planet from the beginning. We came from Earth, so it's still our home."

"It's also the capital planet of the UNSC, just like Coruscant is the capital of this Empire."

"Coruscant was also the capital for the old Republic," Kanan said.

"Sir, the UNSC construction fleet has arrived to a remote system. They have begun preparations for the gate construction," a rebel officer reported.

"What ships are stationed there?" Hera asked.

"UNSC _Eternity_ is going to guard it until it is finished; maybe even afterwards," Lasky said as he entered the room.

"Captain, I didn't expect to see you down here," Hera said.

"What I can't see how you're all doing in person?" he joked.

"Your presence is welcome, Captain," Hera said smiling. "I'm inclined to thank you for helping us in Lothal's liberation. The survivors thank you, ever so reluctantly."

"Is the _Eternity_ the only one guarding the gate?" Zeb asked.

"No, our entire fleet is stationed at a nearby planet. It's uninhabitable, but we have supplies that are able to help with that," Lasky said.

"Habitation modules?" Hera asked.

Lasky nodded, "We've also located a resource on this planet that is capable of being fuel for our smaller craft, such as our Broadswords, Longswords, Shortswords, even Pelicans."

"What about fuel for your larger vessels?"

"We use fusion drives to propel our ships. It doesn't really require fuel, but does use fusion reactors."

"Fusion reactors... nice," Hera said.

"Woah..." Sabine muttered as she looked out the window from her bed.

"Incredible... I've never seen a planet like this besides Alderaan or Naboo," Ezra said.

"Have you ever seen Naboo or Alderaan before, Ezra?" Sabine asked.

"I don't think so..."

A marine walked in, no armor and no weapons except for an M6 Magnum handgun strapped to his holster on his belt.

"We're about ready to depart for the surface. You two feel good enough to go?" he asked.

"You guys remind me of Mandalorians," Ezra said suddenly.

The marine looked confused and looked at Sabine.

"I'd take it as a compliment, but why do you say that?" Sabine asked.

"They're always armed with something," Ezra pointed out.

"Is that a problem?" the marine asked.

"No, it's no problem," Ezra said quickly, shaking his hands.

"My people always carries some sort of weapon with us; we're never fully unarmed," Sabine said. "He seems to think you guys are the same."

The marine laughed then, "No, we're not always armed. It's just those on duty and all, but even then we have certain shifts."

"What does that mean?" Ezra asked. "Just those on duty?"

"We have people that just wear normal clothing while still keeping up with uniform regulations, and they usually never have a gun or sometimes not even a knife. They leave those things to the men and women who are working their shifts; for example, me," the marine explained. "I'm working my shift and my brother is off duty right now. However, in any case of an attack, all personnel are required to prep for combat. Usually many of the guys here don't have time to strap on their armor so they just grab a gun and go."

"You should do that sometime, Sabine," Ezra said. "Just let loose and not wear that armor all the time." He regretted it as soon as he said it.

"Excuse me, Bridger, but my armor represents my honor. Taking it off would be like throwing that honor away," Sabine scolded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that..."

"Let's just go," Sabine said. The medical treatments they gave her really helped. She walked past Ezra with ease and put on her armor, then followed the marine out. Ezra was close behind, though he lowered his head.

"Are those... water craft?" Sabine asked.

"Yes," the marine said. "Even though we have starships, there's still going to be people that don't want to go to space, yet serve in our military. All the guys here you've seen were Marines. Now..." he said as some aircraft flew around the Pelican, providing an escort, "you get to see the UNSC Air Force and Army, along with glimpses of amphibious naval craft."

"So the Army and Air Force don't travel with you guys?" Ezra asked.

"Not unless they're being permanently deployed to another planet, or continent on this one. Welcome to Earth, you two."

"What's that over there?" Ezra asked, pointing to a ship with aircraft sitting on the deck.

"That's an aircraft carrier. Its purpose is really in the name," the marine said.

"That's pretty cool I guess," Sabine said.

"We have to make sure we have a ground military in case our space fleets are away, but we always make sure we have a home fleet. You see, the ships we sent aren't really all that we had. Some are, as we say outdated, but they still pack a good punch."

The Pelican landed on a pad and the boarding ramp opened. They were met by a unit of soldiers that looked slightly different from the Marines.

"These guys are not Marines, but Army."

"Thanks for rubbing it in," an Army guy said.

The Marine leaned close to Ezra, "These guys are on all our planets. They help provide defense against rouge Covenant forces and Insurgents."

"Makes sense," Ezra said.

"Anyways we'll take it from here," the army guy said.

The Marine saluted the Army and Ezra and Sabine were taken to the UNSC headquarters.

"Sir, I'm picking something up behind those extra ammunition pods over there," a marine LT said.

"Jackson, check it out," the squad leader ordered.

One of the ship's security teams were dispatched to the _Spirit of Fire_ 's hold, apparently nearby where the drop pods are. Several drop pods are filled with ammo reserves, but they were sitting away from the catapult launchers.

One of the marines, Jackson, cautiously approached the spot where the life signs were coming from. He turned a corner and about dropped his gun in surprise.

"Oh my God..." Jackson muttered. "Medic!"

The squad medic ran up and almost dropped everything as well. "Sir, you're going to have to see this..."

"What is it?"

The medic read the tags on the unconscious, but still very much alive Spartan soldier. S-B312...

Sabine and Ezra were excited. Not only did they get to meet with UNSC Central Command, but they were just told they could get back home almost immediately. In the meantime, they were allowed to explore the city, but of course they had to have some soldiers with them as guides and security.

"Everyone here is human?" Ezra asked.

"Yup," a soldier said. "It's like this on all our other planets as well."

"This is amazing. I've never been in a kind of city like this," Sabine said.

"I hear there are planet-wide cities in your galaxy. Is that true?"

"There's a couple," Sabine replied. "Coruscant being one and Denon. Both are full of criminals and gangs, though. Very dangerous."

"Wouldn't doubt it. Cities typically have higher crime rates due to the large population."

"Do you guys have a holonet?" Ezra asked.

"Well... uh... not really sure what that is actually," the soldiers said.

"It's basically like news, shows, all sorts of stuff," Sabine explained. "It's a communications system."

"Oh, like that?" a soldier asked, pointing to a screen on a building.

"So you do have a HoloNet," Ezra said.

"Here it's usually just TV, but yeah we have communications systems."

"Are you two hungry for anything? I know a great place not too far from here," one of the soldiers asked.

"You would," another scoffed.

"Shut up, man, I'm just trying to be hospitable!"

"Yeah using other people's restaurants!"

"Alright you two, knock it off! We're still on duty, remember?" their commanding officer barked.

"Sir, Yes sir!"

"But he's right, are you hungry?"

Ezra and Sabine looked at each other, then back up at the soldier, "Food sounds great right now!" they said in unison.

"Great! Follow me," the UNSC squad leader said as he turned down a street and walked down the sidewalk.

A little while later they stopped in front of a fancy looking restaurant and they walked inside. Since they were in the city the UNSC wasn't armed to the teeth like they usually were, but they still wore their uniforms and carried an M6 Magnum on their belts and a combat knife.

A waitress greeted them cheerfully and asked how many would be eating. The squad leader did a quick head count and answered, "Four soldiers and 2 guests."

The waitress smiled and picked up a few menus and led them to a vacant table. She handed everybody the menus and asked what everybody would like to drink.

"Coffee," the squad leader said.

Most of the others ordered water or a soda. Before they knew it, it was Ezra and Sabine's turn to order.

"I'm afraid I don't know what's good here..." Sabine said.

The waitress smiled, "That's alright, take your time."

Sabine looked a bit longer and decided to try the coffee only because it sounds similar to their caf back home. Ezra wanted to try the Dr. Pepper.

The waitress left to get their drinks and Sabine looked around at the large room they were in.

"This is a nice place," she said.

"Soldiers usually get a 20% discount here, so I guess it is," the squad leader shrugged.

Half an hour later, they were eating their food. Sabine ordered from a more seafood side of the menu. She ordered shrimp with a side salad and Ezra ordered the restaurants Ironside Steak; their signature dish. It had a charcoal grill finish with Lawrey's salt and a side of fries. The UNSC soldiers ordered the same thing as Ezra and Sabine.


	15. Final Hours in the Milky Way

**Chapter 15**

 **Before this chapter starts, I want to be clear that everything here may not be true, but for the plot of the story it is how it is.**

"I don't know what all that was, but it was delicious!" Ezra exclaimed. Sabine nodded in agreement.

They had left the restaurant and were making their way to the space port with their Army escort. Several civilians watched them curiously and Ezra could hear them murmuring something like "they must have screwed up bad" or something like that.

"That's the joys of a major UNSC city," one of the soldiers said.

"I think these civilians think we did something wrong..." Sabine said.

Apparently one of the civilians heard her.

"You're under heavy guard by the UNSC Army itself!"

"Ma'am, please step back. We assure you these two are not criminals or terrorists. They're special guests."

"Guests from where?" the woman asked.

"I'm afraid those details are highly classified," the soldier said.

"As always..." the woman muttered as she walked away.

"Cheery," Ezra joked.

"All part of the city," the soldier said. "We've been through a lot so our citizens are really up tight about strangers, especially those from another world outside of UNSC jurisdiction."

"I bet," Sabine said. "I keep seeing signs about 'Remember New Phoenix'. What's that all about?"

"It's a difficult... incident to discuss. We lost 7 million people that day..."

"Any military casualties?"

"Mostly civilian," the soldier said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ezra said.

"That was back in 2557. It's 2560 now," the squad leader said.

"That's this galaxy's date?" Sabine asked.

"This planet and all others under UNSC control, yes."

"I've never seen one government, controlled by one race, in control of several planets, I don't mean the Empire of course," Ezra said.

"Mandalore can be like that, Ezra," Sabine said. "It's just not very often when all the clans are united under one flag."

"I need to rephrase that," Ezra began, "I meant..."

"I think he means a united interplanetary government that originated from a single planet," a soldier said.

"When you put it like that I don't think that's ever happened in our galaxy," Sabine said.

The squad leader pressed a finger over his ear and nodded, "The Marines are on their way to pick you up. We should get going to the port."

"Welcome aboard the _Spirit of Fire_ , you two," Cutter said once the two teens were back on the bridge.

"How soon can we get going?" Sabine asked.

"Just a few more hours. In the meantime there's somebody important to us in the medical bay. He's heard about you two and would like to meet you. Sergeant, can you take them there?"

"Yes sir!" a marine sergeant said.

"See you in a couple hours, Commanders," Cutter said.

Ezra and Sabine were led to the medical bay where a tall man was lying in a medical bed, awake.

"Commanders, I assume the Captain sent you down here?" a medic asked.

"Yes ma'am," Ezra said.

"Are those the two I heard about?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir. These are Rebel Commanders Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren. They can answer any questions about what's happening in their galaxy," the nurse said.

"Perfect! It's about time I get something!"

"Commanders, this is Spartan B312, aka Noble Six," the nurse said.

"I can introduce myself, thank you," Noble 6 said.

"I'll leave you three alone," the nurse said.

"And I'll be waiting outside. It's good to see you again, 6," the sergeant said.

Noble 6 nodded respectfully to both the nurse and the marine and they left.

"So what do you wish to know, sir?" Sabine asked him.

"First thing, do you know the Master Chief?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Ezra said. "He helped me save Sabine when the Covenant got to her."

"Really? That's quite an honor to work next to the Chief," Six said. "He's still alive then?"

"Very much so, sir," Ezra said.

Six sat back and sighed with relief, "Good."

"Anything else you'd like to know?" Ezra asked.

"I heard you two were at war with an... what a Galactic Empire?"

"Yes sir. The Empire is evil and... they take advantage of the weak. Force people from their homes..." Sabine said.

"She used to work for them when they took control of her homeworld," Ezra began, "They used weapons she designed to subjugate her people."

"That's terrible," Six said.

"They've also committed genocide on a planetary scale," Sabine said. "One of our crew, Zeb, is a Lasat. His race was nearly extinct, but fortunately we found another planet, hidden from the Empire, full of the Lasat people."

"Then there's the planet Geonosis," Ezra began. "Pretty much the entire population was killed."

"What do you mean 'pretty much'?"

"We found a lone survivor. If there were more... we don't know," Sabine said.

"Sounds like these guys need to be brought down," Six said.

"That's what we're working to do," Ezra said. "They took my parents from me when I was 7."

"Thing is, there was a wormhole that sent the UNSC _Infinity_ to our galaxy. You were trying to remain neutral in our conflict, but as typical as the Empire is, they turned on your UNSC. Your people joined the war and..." Sabine grew excited, "helped us liberate his home planet."

"What about your planet? You said the Empire had control of that," Six said.

"Sabine comes from a unique race called Mandalorians. They've been through more wars than thought possible so they know how to fight," Ezra said.

"Yup," Sabine said proudly. "I managed to get my family to start fighting the Empire and we have several other clans fighting with us. However there are a few clans loyal to the Empire so if we fight them, we're fighting the Empire simultaneously."

"Impressive," Six said. "So a warrior race?"

"Exactly," Sabine said.

"That's pretty cool," Six said.

"So what about you?" Ezra asked.

"What?"

"I had a good childhood until I was seven, and Sabine had one as good as any Mandalorian could have, what about you?"

"I… don't have a childhood. The military's all I've known," Six said.

"Oh... I'm sorry I didn't mean to..."

"Actually that's why I wanted to meet you two in the first place," Six began quietly. "You had to have heard about ONI by now, right?"

"ONI?" Sabine asked.

"The UNSCs Office of Naval Intelligence. They created the Spartans like me and the Chief. How they did it... Almost nobody knows, but I do."

"What do you mean?"

"You worked with the Empire?" Six asked.

"For a while, yes. I know their protocols, regulations, all the basics," Sabine answered.

"So you know how their recruitment works?"

"Both of us have an idea of it, yes," Sabine confirmed.

"How do they recruit?"

Sabine and Ezra looked at each other.

"They take children from their families. It's required that children go through some sort of military training to become Stormtroopers, the Empire's standard soldier," Sabine said.

"Don't tell anybody I told you this, but that's what ONI did with every Spartan like Chief here, only they kidnapped them and replaced them with clones so their parents had no idea they were gone. They were forced to become Spartans. All the other Spartans after the Spartan 2s were volunteer. My group joined after our parents were killed."

Ezra and Sabine were silent, allowing Noble 6 to continue.

"ONI knows about you two, and they'll do anything to get to you and your galaxy. All the tech you guys have over there... ONI is a force of good and all, but they've done terrible things."

"So how are they still around?" Ezra asked. "Wouldn't they be shut down?"

"Not unless people knew about it. They have agents and spies everywhere. They likely have an agenda for you and everybody in your galaxy. They're not much different from the Empire," Six said quietly. "If anybody is suspected of knowing of their wrong doing, they'll be kidnapped and likely tortured into keeping quiet, or worse.

"You two should watch your backs. They'll do anything to get to you two," Six concluded.

"Thanks for the information, Noble 6," Sabine said. "If they try to get to me, I'm not going down without a fight."

"And Sabine is terrific with all kinds of combat," Ezra said.

"I wouldn't doubt it. It's likely ONI doesn't know a whole lot about the people in your galaxy and I want to keep it that way," Six said. "The less they know about your galaxy the more powerless they will be against you."

"Understood," Ezra said.

Hours later, Ezra and Sabine were called back up to the bridge to begin intergalactic transfer.

"The gate is active and we are ready to transfer. I'm afraid this ship itself will not be passing through, but we have a Stalwart-class light frigate ready to transport," Cutter said. "We have a Pelican standing by in the hangar. You should get moving. Sergeant, escort them out."

"Captain, if I may go with them to the hangar?" Noble 6 said. He was wearing standard UNSC attire.

"Granted B312," Cutter said.

"Keep your eyes open. Remember, ONI could be anywhere. Do not let them find information on your galaxy. I'll keep UNSC Central Command from releasing data to them, despite being the primary research division of the UNSC," Six said.

Ezra and Sabine nodded as they boarded the Pelican.

"It was an honor to meet you, Noble 6," Sabine said.

"Likewise, Commanders. Have a safe trip home."

The Pelican doors closed and they left the hangars.

"Whatever this ONI is about and what their goal is, I don't like the sound of it," Sabine said then, keeping her voice low so only Ezra could hear her.

"I agree. My Force abilities wouldn't be helpful here either," Ezra said. "Not until we get back home, at least."

"You can't sense anything here? No danger or anything?" Sabine asked.

Ezra shook his head, "Nothing at all. This galaxy literally has no Force."

"Then we should be extra careful here," Sabine said.

"Agreed."

"We're coming up on our frigate, you two," a man said.

"Thanks for the notice," Ezra said.

Sabine eyed the man a few seconds longer, then turned around, motioning for Ezra to do the same, pretending to be looking at something else to avoid suspicion.

"He's different," she whispered.

"How can you tell?" Ezra asked. The guy was wearing standard UNSC fatigues.

"Remember what Noble 6 said? ONI has spies and agents everywhere," she said. "This guy might be one of them."

"Again, how can you tell?"

"I just have this strange feeling about him. Something's off," she said.

Ezra glanced at him and noticed he never took his eyes off of the two. He knew what Sabine was trying to do about avoiding suspicion so he continued scanning the Pelican's bay.

"I think you're right. He hasn't taken his eyes off us for one second. All the other soldiers looked at other places by now," Ezra said.

Sabine put her helmet on and checked for her weapons.

 _All there._

Her vambraces were armed, her blasters charged. Ezra checked for his lightsaber, the only thing in this galaxy that still gave off a Force signature other than Sabine. However he seemed to be more seeing the signatures instead of feeling them like back home.

"Whatever happens next, do not kill. Only defend," Ezra muttered, the military commander side of him starting to take over. Sabine nodded with agreement.

"I was about to say that," she said.

The pilot was heard through the comm speakers then.

 _"We are on final approach to our ship. All passengers stand by for docking, ETA 20 seconds. Final approach speed 22 m/s."_

When the Pelican landed and the bay doors opened, the darker hold was filled with light from the frigate hangars. At the bottom of the boarding ramp stood a squad of ODST soldiers.

"Commanders Bridger and Wren?" one of the ODSTs asked.

"That's us," Sabine said as she and Ezra approached them.

"Welcome aboard. The captain wishes you two be on the bridge during this trip. Extra security," the ODST said.

These ODSTs were not wearing their full combat gear, but instead were wearing their standard uniform.

"Understood," Sabine said.

Ezra and Sabine were led out of the hangar and down several corridors. Sabine occasionally looked over her shoulder and saw the man on the Pelican following them at a distance, and thanks to her helmet, she was able to check without showing suspicion. It looked like she was occasionally glancing over to Ezra.

They approached a lift and the guard ordered the team to show authorization cards. Every member of the squad showed their identification and the squad leader explained everything.

"Understood, sir. Here you go," the guard said as he pressed a button and the lift doors opened. Ezra and Sabine walked inside, but before the doors could close, the guard was distracted by that man from earlier.

"Identification," he ordered.

"I need identification to go to the bridge?" the man asked.

"For the moment since we are responsible for these two security," the guard said. "Only those who are authorized may board the bridge."

"Alright, you win," the man said, but he quickly drew a gun... no something _like_ a gun and stunned the guard and lunged for the lift.

In response, the ODST unit escorting Ezra and Sabine jumped into action, two of them leaving the lift to hold off the attacker. One ODST held him back long enough for the other to hit the button to send them on their way. However, halfway up, the lift stopped suddenly, throwing the four passengers into the air for a second.

"What was that?" Ezra asked.

"The lift is jammed," the ODST captain said.

"It must have been that guy. He was not trained as a Marine," the second ODST said.

 _ONI_...

The captain groaned if frustration, "I can't get this moving. We're stuck here!"

Sabine looked up and smiled under her helmet, elbowing Ezra and motioning for him to look up.

"Maybe this lift is stuck here, but we're not," Ezra said.

"What do you mean?"

"There's always an escape hatch in a lift in case these sort of things happen," Sabine said.

The second ODST jumped up and tried to open the hatch, but it wouldn't budge either.

"Blast! It won't open!"

"Here let me try," Ezra said as he held his lightsaber.

"What is that?" the ODSTs asked.

"You might want to step back," Sabine said calmly. She and the two ODSTs took a couple steps back until their backs were against the wall and Ezra ignited his lightsaber, the blade making everything in the lift look like it was carved out of pure emerald.

Ezra raised his blade and cut out the hatch's lock and the hatch itself dropped open. He extinguished the blade and placed it on his belt, looking at the surprised ODSTs.

"What are you guys waiting for? Let's get out of here!" Ezra said as he jumped up and grabbed the edge of the opening, pulling himself up to the top. Sabine followed close behind him and he helped her up.

The lift began moving down the shaft then and the ODSTs looked up to the two teens above them.

"Come on!" Sabine shouted to them.

"Sorry, Commanders, but we have to hold him off while we can. Get to the bridge, alert the captain!" they said.

Sabine nodded grimly and she grabbed a hold of a small ledge on the side of the elevator shaft. Ezra found a cable just hanging off the side and grabbed that, using a ledge to put his feet on.

"Ezra, grab on to me!" Sabine shouted over the elevator noise.

"What?" he shouted back.

"I've got my jetpack on me," she said.

The elevator was fading below them.

Ezra nodded and he made his way over to Sabine, who let go of the side of the elevator shaft and activated her jetpack. She held out her hand and Ezra grabbed it. Sabine quickly wrapped her arms around Ezra, under his arms and he wrapped his arms over her shoulders, just like that time they were escaping from the Imperial Mandalorians back on Concord Dawn.

They flew up to the top level and they managed to get the door open, just as Sabine's jetpack ran out of power and needed to recharge. A bunch of Marines pulled them onto the deck and began asking what happened and where the lift was.

"Somebody attacked us on the hangar level. We don't know who he is but our escort said he wasn't trained as a Marine," Sabine explained, pulling off her helmet.

"It had to be ONI," somebody said. "They jump at the first opportunity whenever something new arrives."

"Noble 6 said ONI would likely be after us since they know next to nothing about our galaxy," Ezra said.

The ship's captain clenched his fist.

"They've caused a lot of damage. Dr. Halsey put a permanent black mark on ONI since she was the top scientist of the group."

"I'm sorry, who's Dr. Halsey?" Sabine asked.

"She's a very dangerous woman. We've put her on a shoot on sight order," the captain said.

"Alright then we should get moving," Ezra said.

"What Noble 6 didn't tell you, there's two factions in ONI now. They used to be one group but since everything with Halsey, they've split up. One group is working shoulder to shoulder with the UNSC, the other side is loyal to Halsey and will do anything for new information. Her group is probably after you right now."

"Probably," Ezra scoffed sarcastically.

"If that's the case, we're not going anywhere," the captain said. He turned to the comm officer, "Send a transmission to Command."

Two hours passed and so much happened. Hostile ONI agents assaulted the ship and we were forced to go through slipspace to Earth's moon. The jump wasn't tracked because we were there for an hour and a half.

"Command, what's the status of the stargate?" the frigate captain asked.

 _"The gate is secure. We have everything we could spare on it, including anti cloak perimeter scanners_."

"Sir, slipspace ruptures off our bow... they're ONI ships!" a nav officer reported.

"Slipspace to the Gate, we're moving, NOW!"

"Slipspace drive spinning up, captain. Full charge T-2 minutes!"

"Get our fusion engines active. Keep them at our backs, all auxiliary power to aft shields, keep our engines online!"

"Yes sir!"

The ship shook under the firepower of ONI ships.

"Sir, these ships have mixed technology between UNSC, Covenant, and Forerunner weaponry!" a tactical officer reported.

"This is ridiculous!" an officer shouted.

"Jump drive stats!" the captain ordered.

"1 minute, sir!"

"Our shields are failing!"

"They can't destroy this ship without risking our lives," Sabine said.

"We understand that. They're trying to cripple our engines, make us immobile," the captain said.

"Can we fire back?" Ezra asked.

"We have missiles locked on target, captain!" the tactical officer reported.

"Return fire!"

The ship shuddered as several missiles were launched from their launch tubes and flew towards the attacking vessels, but when they hit, there was no reported change in the shields.

"Karabast," Sabine muttered.

"Keep firing! Their shields have to fail at some point!"

"Captain! We have slipspace capability!"

"Engage the drive. We're out of here!"

A slipspace rupture formed in front of the frigate and they disappeared from enemy scanners. The rupture closed before the ONI ships could follow them, though half of one made it through when it closed, effectively splitting it in half.

"Sir, we have debris behind us. It's part of one of the ONI frigates!"

"Kill the slipstream! They cannot be allowed to find the Gate!"

The Stalwart-class light frigate left slipstream and the debris followed them out.

"There she is, sir," the nav officer said upon seeing the debris.

"Reset our course, continue our jump to the Gate," the captain said.

"Sir, the slipspace drive will take another minute to recharge," the nav officer said.

"Make it quick. We need to keep moving."

The captain turned over to Ezra and Sabine.

"How are you two holding up?" he asked.

"We're hanging in there. It's not the first time we've been on the run," Sabine answered.

"That's good to hear," the captain said. "I mean..."

"We understand what you meant," Ezra said.

"Good."

"Sir, we have slipspace," the nav officer said.

"Do it. We need to get these two out of here, asap," the captain said.

"It was an honor to meet you two, but it's a shame you left under these circumstances," Noble 6 said. They were speaking through comms while the Gate was spinning up.

"It was a pleasure, sir," Ezra said.

"Commanders, the gate is ready. We must cut comms off here," the nav officer said.

"Understood," Sabine said. "Hope to meet again sometime, Noble 6."

"Likewise, commanders. Have a safe return trip."

With that, the comms were cut and the Stalwart-class light frigate was placed in final jump position and the gate opened a slipspace rupture. Powerful magnetic catapults through the ship into the rupture at speeds originally thought impossible.

"This is UNSC _Midsummer Night_ , en route to Beta Alpha 6, ETA 4 days," the captain said. "Commanders Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren are safe and seem excited to finally be returning home. We have sustained moderate damage to our shields and minor damage to our armor."

"Four days, huh?" Ezra asked.

"It's never instantaneous travel, but we are moving faster than every before. Say, how fast is your hyperspace travel?"

"It's pretty fast but it depends on the class of hyperdrive. A class 1 hyperdrive is much slower than a .5 class hyperdrive, but we have to calculate all our jumps since there's all sorts of stuff we have to avoid, like rogue stars and black holes," Sabine said.

"We could get from one side of the galaxy to another in about a day or two, but since we have to use what we call hyperspace lanes, it takes a lot longer and our ships have limited jumps until we have to refuel," Ezra explained.

"Makes sense," the captain said. "Since this will take a while, you two will have your own quarters. First, I must say we don't have many left so you might have to share. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but we will provide a curtain or something to give you privacy."

"Thanks, captain, but I think we can manage," Sabine said.

"If you say so. Each room has one shower and everything, plus several bunks."

"That should be fine, thanks you," Sabine said.

An ODST led the two teens to their room and told them if they needed anything, just contact the bridge. He left and Sabine turned around after closing the door and noticed Ezra didn't look right.

"Hey," she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Are you really alright with sharing a room?" he asked.

Sabine smiled nervously and rubbed her neck, "Well... don't you think it's best we stick together? I mean... we have more security when we're together than separated."

Ezra stared at her.

"I-It's not what you think... I only meant..." she stammered. This was not like her at all. She never stammered.

Ezra chuckled, "You're turning into me now."

"Yeah and I hate it," Sabine said. She began stripping off her armor and set her breastplate onto the desk next to her bunk. She unstrapped her armguards and beskar plating from her legs. The only thing she was wearing when she finished was her bodysuit and then she noticed a very red Ezra.

"What?" she asked, turning red herself.

"N-Nothing. I-I just never... I've never seen you without your armor," he stammered.

"It's nothing to get worked up about, Ez. I call top bunk," she said as she jumped up onto the top.

"There's several bunks here," Ezra stated, "I could take this one over here."

Sabine said something she really didn't think about. In fact she didn't think she said it out loud.

"Or you could stay right here."

"Sabine..."

"Did I say that out loud?" she asked.

"Yeah, you did."

She quickly turned around and buried her face, "Forget it. Turn out the light, will you?"

Ezra nodded, "Goodnight, Bine."

Sabine smiled into the pillow, "Goodnight, Ez."

If it was night, they really didn't know for sure. What they did know is that they really were very tired, and everything was only beginning.


	16. Aftermath of Liberation

**Chapter 16**

They were almost there, according to the captain. It's been several days since Ezra and Sabine left the Milky Way and begun their trip back to their own galaxy and they were excited. Ezra was in pain again, however, as his injuries from the extreme hyperspace jump never fully healed. The anesthetics wore off on their second day and Sabine was non too comfortable either.

"How's that leg of yours?" she asked Ezra. They were in their quarters, trying to get some rest after exploring the ship a bit.

"Kriffing hurts," he replied.

"Well it won't be long until we get you into a bacta tank," Sabine said.

"What about your leg?" he asked her then.

"It's better but it's still sore. Remind me to pack some extra bacta patches with my equipment."

Ezra couldn't help but chuckle, "If I can remember I will."

…

The damage was intense. Most of the buildings on the outskirts of the city were turned into piles of rubble, some of them still burning or at least smoldering from the massive ground assault just two days before. Some of the buildings deeper in the Lothal city also had considerable damage, like corners missing, entire walls smashed to dust. The civilian casualties was too high for comfort as well, which didn't make anybody happy. Fortunately the citizens of the city still thanked the UNSC for liberating them; at least most of them did.

The clean up process began and the UNSC established a fort not far from the city limits to provide rapid military support if needed. As of now the only armed soldiers there were keeping an eye on things, making sure criminals and gangs didn't try anything stupid while the civilians and UNSC relief teams worked to clear the streets. Several Mantis were posted around the city, along with infantry and warthogs. Hornets and Cyclops units helped lift heavy pieces of rubble off the streets and other buildings. Occasionally you would see a Cyclops tearing down the rest of a destroyed building, the owners usually seen nearby, weeping as their home or business was destroyed.

Nevertheless they understood what had to be done to gain their independence.

"Captain Lasky, sir!" a marine exclaimed, snapping to attention. The rest of the marines around him did the same as their captain walked among the wreckage.

"At ease," he said. He was flanked by Spartan Blue team. He looked around at the destruction and sighed. "Hell of a mess we've made, isn't that right, corporal?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," the marine said. In that moment, there was a loud scream for help heard from the wreckage of a nearby building and several marines and corpsmen ran to assist. There was a man stuck under a large piece of roofing and he was losing blood fast; his consciousness began to slip.

"The horrors of war," Lasky stated grimly. "It's never going to change no matter what we do."

"Sir, I must advise you to be careful down here. There are criminal gangs about in what remains of the city," the corporal warned.

"I am aware of that, thank you," Lasky said.

As he looked about the destruction, he knew that when the time came to rebuild, the people of Lothal had to rebuild it as they see fit. The UNSC could not assist in that much. The people even explained that though they were grateful for their help, they wished to rebuild on their own.

"Don't you think you've seen enough, sir?" Palmer asked. She was wearing her Mjolnir armor, but she held her helmet.

"Yes but I should remain here to oversee our progress," Lasky said.

"It's alright, sir," the corporal began. "With all due respect you look tired. You should get some rest, sir."

"Very well," Lasky said. He knew the corporal wasn't a medic of any kind, but it was true. He hadn't slept in days.

…

The Imperial officer nervously approached Vader, who seemed calm for the moment. The officer knew very well that his relatively good mood was going to change drastically.

"Lord Vader," he began. "I have news from Lothal, sir."

"Is it the rebels again?" Vader asked.

"They were involved, yes, but there's more to it. We... seemed to have lost control of the system," the officer said, forcing out every word.

The air seemed to change in the room and Vader's mood did exactly as expected, though his tone was terrifyingly calm.

"What exactly do you mean, lieutenant?" Vader asked.

"The UNSC launched a massive offensive on the planet. The fleets and the troops on the ground tried their best to fight them off but it was too much..."

The officer was scared Vader was going to kill him, but much to his surprise, Vader spared his life. Vader stood up from his meditation chamber and approached the lieutenant.

"You are afraid," he said simply.

"I don't understand what you mean, my lord."

"There is no reason to fear. You are but a messenger at this moment. I appreciate you telling me all this. I must report this to the Emperor myself," Vader said.

"Yes lord Vader. Shall we establish communications?"

"No. Tell Captain Piett to set a course. I must report this to the Emperor in person," Vader said.

"Right away, lord Vader," the lieutenant said quickly, bowing before leaving the room.

…

The next day, in the Imperial Palace, Palpatine was in a full rage. Furniture was broken to pieces, the walls slashed by a lightsaber, and the pillars burned by lightning. Still, Darth Vader himself knelt in his spot before his master. Palpatine's personal guards stood a few meters farther to avoid being hit by stray lightning.

"How could this have happened?" the Emperor shouted in his rage.

"I know not, my master," Vader said.

"Dozens of Star Destroyers, even a couple Super Star Destroyers were destroyed by this UNSC fleet! My best strategist is dead!"

"Shall I gather the fleet for a counter attack, master?" Vader asked.

Though Palpatine was furious, he wasn't reckless.

"No. Let them enjoy their victory for now. There are hundreds of other worlds worth more than that worthless rock they call a planet."

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

"Continue your search for the Rebel base. We must make an example of them."

"As you wish, my master," Vader said, bowing one last time before standing tall and leaving.

"Will somebody clean up this mess?" Palpatine asked as his guards scrambled to call some cleaning droids.

…

"Sir, we have a slipspace rupture just off our starboard side," a nav officer reported to captain of UNSC _Eternity_.

"Do we know where they're coming from?" he asked.

"Scans indicate it's from the Milky Way," the officer said.

"Looks like our guys are here."

The captain looked out as the _Stalwart_ -class light frigate _Midsummer Night_ emerged from the rupture. When the ship was fully through, the captain sent a transmission to them.

" _Eternity_ to _Midsummer Night_ , welcome to Beta Alpha 6."

 _"Midsummer Night to Eternity, thanks for having us. We have our packages safe and secured, over."_

"Clear copy. Ships scans are good, clear to proceed to these coordinates."

 _"Coordinates received."_

Another slipspace rupture opened and _Midsummer Night_ disappeared once again, course set to Lothal.

…

Minutes later, the _Stalwart_ -class light frigate was on approach to the UNSC blockade around Lothal. The captain of the frigate opened comms with the _Infinity_ and was granted permission to deploy a Pelican to the surface under tight security. Once they landed and the bay doors opened, Ezra and Sabine got a good look of the area around them and was surprised to see they were in a UNSC camp. Even more of a surprise, Lasky was there to greet them.

"Welcome to the recently liberated Lothal, Commanders," he said cheerfully, though his eyes were saying it wasn't something to be cheery about. The actual liberation yes, but the cost of it... not so much.

"I don't think a simple thank you is enough..." Ezra stated.

"It's understandable, Ezra," Lasky said. He then noticed he was hurting a bit. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he replied.

"No he's not," Sabine objected. "His arm was messed up and his leg isn't any better."

"You're one to talk," Ezra muttered, but Sabine ignored it.

"Is there anything I can do?" Lasky asked.

"Bacta patches would be very nice right now," Sabine said.

"Bacta patches?" Lasky asked, confused at first. He then remembered the substance used for most of their medical treatments. "Oh that. I'm afraid we don't have that but the city... or what's left of it anyway, might have something."

"Can I see my city?" Ezra asked.

"Not right now, I'm afraid. There's almost no law enforcement their right now. The civilians are badly shaken up so I have my men there to provide security while the relief teams do their jobs."

"I could get into contact with Rebel Command," Hera said, walking up. "We have medical supplies to spare for everybody here."

"General Syndulla, I had no idea you were here," Lasky said.

"I just arrived. Ezra, Sabine, it's good to see you're both alright," Hera said, giving them both a hug.

"As much as we are, yes. The UNSC treated our injuries best they could, but it's not much compared to bacta," Sabine said.

Lasky chuckled, "I suppose that's something you guys have over us then."

"We'll be happy to see how bacta affects your people, but we can't guarantee it will work since you're from another galaxy and all," Hera explained.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if it does more harm than good for us, but we'll have to see," Lasky agreed.

"We can provide a canister for your people to study. For us it has little to no side effects but it could be different for you," Hera said.

Lasky nodded.

A couple hours later, Ezra, Sabine, and the rest of the rebels toured the ruined city. The sight was hard for everyone, especially Ezra, but he was happy to see most of the civilians were celebrating anyway.

The UNSC allowed the people of Lothal to bury their people in their own ways, while the UNSC gathered the fallen soldiers from both sides. Instead of piling them up like many species do in this galaxy, the UNSC lined them up; the fallen UNSC troops covered with the UNSC flag while they fabricated the Imperial flag and covered the fallen stormtroopers and officers.

…

After the UNSC and Imperial bodies were cleaned and covered, they were loaded onto _Infinity_ to be ceremonially launched into space... or at least the Imperial caskets would. The Rebel Alliance were happy to provide Imperial beacon channel frequencies so the Imperials could recover their fallen and be given the proper rewards for their service to their Empire. As for the UNSC troops, they would be loaded onto a transport and be sent back to the Milky Way and returned to their respective families for proper burial.

"This is Captain Lasky, we are in position on the edge of Imperial space. Launch is green," he said.

Moments later, hundreds of caskets bearing the Imperial flag were launched into space, towards Imperial space, their recovery beacons active.

"Let's just hope the Empire understands what this is," Palmer said.

"I had Roland program a message into each of the beacons explaining why we did this," Lasky said. "Even though they are the enemy, they deserve as much respect as our own. These people are human after all."

Palmer nodded with agreement.

…

"Captain Piett, we're picking up several beacons in wild space, sir," a nav officer reported. "They're on Imperial frequency."

"Send a single Star Destroyer to investigate," Piett ordered.

"Yes sir!"

Vader entered the bridge, "Captain?"

"Lord Vader. We've picked up several beacons in wild space and I've dispatched a star destroyer to investigate," Piett reported.

"And these beacons were on our frequency?"

"Yes, my lord. What exactly they are we don't know."

"Very well. Proceed with caution, Captain," Vader said.

"Yes, my lord."

…

The star destroyer dispatched by Piett arrived at the beacons and the crew was surprised at the sight. Floating before them in open space, were hundreds of boxes covered by Imperial flags.

"Captain, there's a transmission programmed into these beacons," a comm officer reported.

"Play the transmission," the captain ordered.

Moments passed before Roland's voice filled the bridge.

 _"Greetings! My name is Roland, I am the artificial intelligence of the UNSC starship Infinity. These boxes you see before you, are the hundreds of your people that have died for your great Empire in their fight to defend Lothal. We are truly sorry that this had to happen. We wish that you would return these valiant soldiers to their families and be given their proper respects and awards for their services."_

The message just repeats from there and the dumbfounded crew of the star destroyer just froze.

"W-What are your orders?" an officer asked.

A lump formed in the captain's throat as he spoke. "Send our shuttles to recover all these boxes. We're bringing them home."

Word about what everybody dubbed the "Graveyard" spread like wildfire. This act took the Empire completely by surprise to the point where they didn't know what to do. Any story they tried to come up with was known to be fake by the citizens. Roland's message was replayed all throughout the galaxy by rebel hackers. They infiltrated their comms and found the message, playing it to the entire galaxy so the Empire couldn't create some story to blacken the UNSC or the Rebellion.

Overall the operation was a major success in the UNSC and Rebellion's favor, but the war was far from over and there was sure to be hundreds upon thousands, if not millions, of lives lost in this intergalactic conflict.


	17. The Blockade of Mandalore

**Chapter 17**

Riots were occurring all over the galaxy from the outer rim planets all the way to Coruscant. For now they were relatively peaceful riots, not even bottles were thrown. People just stood in the streets or rooftops where the Imperial troops could see them and some groups even spray painted their thoughts onto sides of buildings. The Empire couldn't tolerate that much and had a good reason to arrest those groups. Vandalism wouldn't be tolerated, but there was nothing they could do to the peaceful rioters who just stood there.

Word of the riots reached Rebel Command and the UNSC Central as well. Communication between the two galaxies were still unreliable, so it took time for word to reach UNSC Central.

The UNSC _Infinity_ and her fleet were still orbiting Lothal until the Rebellion could spare new ships. Several days after Ezra and Sabine returned to Lothal, Lasky contacted Rebel Command and requested they officially become a new Alliance. The requested scared the rebel leaders, but they agreed to meet in person. Lasky, the captain of _Eternity_ , and even one of the UNSC Central leaders arrived to Yavin to discuss terms.

The UNSC wouldn't get involved in rebuilding processes on other worlds if something like Lothal happened again. That would be left to the citizens of those worlds and to the Rebels. They would provide support in any major engagement with the Empire as well. If an Imperial super fleet shows up, they would be guaranteed to face the UNSC. If it's just a normal SD fleet, the rebels would handle it, though some UNSC frigates and cruisers could possibly be seen there as well. UNSC capital, or super capital ships would not participate.

Several of the Covenant were there as well. After learning that the UNSC and Rebel Alliance were forming an official alliance agreement, they talked among themselves and decided to request a three-way alliance between the two. Granted the UNSC and Covenant were already allies, it was best that they still represent themselves to the Rebellion.

They were quickly dubbed by the public as the Intergalactic Alliance, some saying IA or IGA for short.

When the Empire heard about this, several officers and countless soldiers and pilots began to start thinking of their chances of holding off the UNSC and Rebel forces. They've never seen the Covenant in action and, to them, were mostly just rumors.

…

"The Rebellion is going to need some more supplies to rebuild their fleet. Unfortunately we are unable to provide said supplies or resources as we'll need them to support our efforts back home," Lasky said.

"Why's that?" the Arbiter asked.

"It's nearing a civil war over there as half of ONI separated and grew hostile against the UNSC and even your people. It would take both our home fleets to fight them off as they've managed to combine all our tech into one class of cruiser. According to reports so far, that's all they have right now for a fleet," Lasky explained.

"Sounds difficult," Arbiter said.

"We also can't just leave this galaxy. We've gotten involved too much to just pull back," Palmer said.

"We don't have enough ships to collect resources fast enough," Hera said.

"I never said I wasn't going to contribute our efforts, just not our resources itself," Lasky began. "We'll give you a hand in all of this. Ships and troops to collect resources. I even heard that we've received some Springhill-class mining ships just yesterday."

"Do you guys know what to search for?" Sabine asked.

"Well that's why we have you guys," Lasky said. "To help us out."

"And here I thought you were helping us," Ezra chuckled.

"We're helping each other in this. It's how alliances work," Palmer said.

"The next place we could hit is Kuat," Sabine said.

"What's there?" Lasky asked.

"The primary Imperial shipyard," Sabine replied. "If we want to end this war fast, I suggest we hit there. Plus resources we could use."

"If it's the primary Imperial shipyard, it would be heavily fortified wouldn't it?" Palmer asked.

"Well... I suppose so," Sabine said.

"The problem with that idea," Roland began, "Is the fact they could be expecting that. They would likely have more ships than usual there."

"Lothal was more than usual," Hera said, "but I see what you mean."

"Ok so Kuat's out of the picture for now, but that doesn't mean we won't hit it at some point. Any other important planets?" Lasky asked.

"There's Abansaz," Kanan said, pointing to a star on the holomap of the galaxy. "There's a factory there. If I remember correctly it's another TIE factory."

"Is it heavily fortified?"

"Not too bad, I don't think," Kanan said.

"It's best if we send probes there," Lasky said.

"Actually, captain," Palmer said. " _Eternity_ thought you didn't know yet, but along with their arrival here they brought a few Sahara-class Prowlers with them. We could send those instead."

"I suppose we could, thank you," Lasky said. "The fact that we have Prowlers changes some things. We could potentially use them to spy on enemy fleet movements."

"Don't forget the Empire has some stealth tech as well," Roland said. "That's what started this whole thing."

"Our cloaking tech makes us invisible to sensors and eyes, but not to physical contact," Hera said.

"Our active camouflage is like that," Palmer said.

"Is the Empire's stealth ships built to hide under an actual radar?" Lasky asked.

"Radar?"

That question made Lasky grin, "I take that as a no. Roland, do we have a radar system on this ship?"

"I'm afraid not, but the Prowlers do," Roland replied.

"Fair enough. Our ships are built to deflect any sort of scanner, plus our active camo making us invisible at a decent range. If they got close they could see the outline of the Prowlers," Lasky explained. "Sounds like the Empire's stealth ships are like that, but if they aren't built to deflect scanners without their stealth modules being active, we might be able to detect them even with their cloak."

"It's unlikely but it's worth a try," Sabine said.

"I've programmed _Infinity_ 's scanners to detect stealth ships operating at a certain frequency. Chances are, after that first one, they could have changed the frequency," Roland said.

"It's not that simple," Sabine said. "You might be able to disable their cloak still."

"Let's hope so. We don't want to be tracked again," Lasky said.

"I'll be able to detect anything foreign on _Infinity's_ hull, whether it's cloaked or not," Roland said.

"Good."

"Captain, I'm picking up bits and pieces of live news reports from around the galaxy," a comm officer reported. "One of the planets is placed under full martial law."

"Just like Lothal was. What planet is this?" Lasky asked.

"I don't know exactly..." the officer said.

"Let me take a look," Sabine said as she started working on the comm console.

A few moments passed and Sabine about dropped the headset in shock.

"Sabine?" Ezra asked.

"The Empire's trying to establish martial law on Mandalore," she replied, her voice hollow.

"Your home planet?" Lasky asked, wanting to be clear.

She nodded.

"My world of Ryloth has been under centuries of struggle, whether it's slavery or occupation. My world can wait for now," Hera said, though there was a slight strain in her voice.

"Mandalore's history indicates they've been under countless wars," Palmer said. "I'm sure your people can fight the Empire alone for now."

"That's cold," Roland said.

"She's right," Sabine said. "My people have been through countless wars, but the Empire has nearly brought Mandalore to its knees before."

Ezra nodded, "It's true. She doesn't like talking about it, though."

"You liberated Ezra's homeworld," Hera began. "I say it's Sabine's turn."

"What about your world?" Lasky asked.

"My father is the leader of a well armed resistance movement. If he needed or wanted help, he would have contacted us by now," Hera said. "He's done it in the past."

"Once, but yeah," Kanan said.

"What's the status of the fleet?" Lasky asked. "We're about to take part in another major fight."

"I can see if I can get my people to fight with you, though they don't like outsiders," Sabine said.

"They might like the Spartans, though," Ezra said.

"Maybe but an outsider is still an outsider," Sabine said. "Obviously, I don't really follow that anymore."

"The fleet reports ready. _Eternity_ is willing to send some ships to blockade the planet until we can get orbital gun platforms set up," Roland said.

"We'll depart as soon as they arrive," Lasky said. He pressed a button on his console. "All hands prep for slipspace. Sync your coordinates with _Infinity_."

…

A few minutes later, the UNSC _Eternity_ 's defense fleet jumped into the Lothal system, bringing with them a few other ships used for building orbital defense platforms.

As soon as they were in, _Infinity_ and her fleet all jumped to slipspace.

"Since my people have never seen you before, it will be likely they would be surprised. Frightened, not usually. Also, since the Empire has declared official martial law on my home, jumping straight in wouldn't be a good idea," Sabine said.

"I understand that, we've been through countless wars ourselves... though we've never really destroyed our home planet with them, but we've been really close to that," Lasky said. "Point being, we know what to do."

Roland opened a holographic map of the galaxy and focused their view on the Mandalore system.

"We know there's nothing over by this moon since we've sent one Prowler there already. This would be a good staging area for the fleet," Lasky said. "Or at least I think it would. If you know a better area, feel free to share."

"Actually if there's nothing there, then that's where I'd go," Sabine said. "But then again, that moon is still within the system, and our scanners pick up anything that jumps inside any system. If you bring us out of slipspace outside the system, in open space, then we'll be good."

"Especially if there's a large group of ships entering the system at the same time," Hera said. "That's an instant alarm for the defending side."

"Alright, outside the system it is," Lasky said.

He had communications between every single ship in his fleet open so the other captains and commanders can hear the plan.

"After we all gather outside the system, we'll send in some probes to get a better idea of what we're up against," Sabine said. "If we send in another Prowler, the slipspace rupture could alert the Imperials, no matter how fast it closes."

"I agree. How fast are your probes?" Lasky asked.

"Pretty fast. We would be getting results within 10 minutes. I'd say that's a good amount of time to get everybody set," Sabine replied.

"Are there any buildings or facilities of importance on the planet?" Palmer asked.

"Well... there's the Imperial Academy, but other than that I really don't know," Sabine said.

"Do we target the Academy?" Ezra asked Sabine.

"Well I'd rather not. I doubt every cadet there would really like the Empire, just like those two cadets you found a while back," Sabine said. "I'm not saying we ignore it, but at least get the cadets to surrender. Any stormtroopers and officers that retaliate, feel free to take them out."

"What if a cadet fires at us?" Chief asked out of nowhere. He was just standing in the corner, out of view from everyone.

"Don't kill them anyway. Subdue them if you can," Sabine said.

"Since they're cadets they wouldn't really know much, so they wouldn't really be prisoners of war," Lasky said.

"I think just returning them to their families would be best. I mean, I'm sure many if not all the cadets there are Mandalorian. Just like you said before, Sabine; a true Mandalorian wouldn't... I forget exactly but a true Mandalorian wouldn't follow the Empire," Ezra said.

"Well that's close enough," Sabine said, smiling at Ezra.

"Alright, so we storm the Academy, get the cadets out of there and take out any guards along the way. Sounds easy enough," Palmer said.

"I'm afraid it's not as easy as it sounds," Sabine said. "That academy has surface to air defense systems and even surface to surface defenses. Then consider the TIEs they have and the walkers and garrison, it's pretty well defended."

"Any AT-AT walkers?" Chief asked.

"I wouldn't think so, but it's entirely likely," Sabine replied.

The Master Chief nodded.

"He's not scared, is he?" Ezra asked quietly.

"Ezra, don't be rude," Sabine hissed.

"Actually," Palmer began, "I've heard a lot about the Chief. He's not afraid of anything, but yet again no Spartan is really afraid. It's just how we were brought up. Now if we could remain a bit more professional, that would be appreciated."

Ezra looked back down at the holotable, "Sorry."

"I'm sure the Chief would like to blow something up anyway," Lasky joked, and the Chief just shrugged.

"Captain," a nav officer began, "we are coming up on the Mandalore system."

"You know the drill, Nav. Drop the fleet outside the system," Lasky ordered.

"Yes sir! Exiting slipspace in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Mark!"

The end of the slipstream appeared and the _Infinity_ slipped back into normal space, several other signatures also appearing around the flagship and disappearing just as fast as they appeared.

"All ships reporting, Captain. Launching probes now."

A faint sound was heard and several probes were launched into the system.

"Probes will be in range in 15 minutes, Captain."

"Good," Lasky said.

"All frigates have reported here," one officer said.

"Cruisers still reporting in," another said quickly after the first.

"All carriers reported here."

"Battleships still reporting."

"Destroyers reporting."

"How many types of ships do you guys have here?" Sabine asked.

"Frigates, destroyers, cruisers, battleships, carriers, and this super carrier," Roland replied easily.

"Alright then," Ezra said.

A few moments passed before all ships in the fleet reported ready. Around that time, the results from the probes were coming in.

"Just as I suspected," Lasky said. "They've got a full blockade set up. No super SDs there, but there's a bunch of regular SDs."

"We're going to have to break that blockade if _Infinity_ is going to deploy ODST troops. We just got lucky at Lothal," Lasky said.

"We'll need two separate teams of fighters," Sabine began. "One team will be taking out TIEs that go after the pods or other ships while another team escorts and defends bomber units. To clear a path, we'll need to bomb their ships out of the way."

"We can have our battleships fire a few MAC rounds into them as well, but it will take time to reload them," Roland said.

"Would _Infinity_ be using her MACs as well?" Ezra asked.

"Not unless we have to," Lasky replied. "In any case an SSD shows up, we need to be ready for it."

"Yes sir," Ezra said.

"When we have an opening, we'll need some spare fighters and bombers deployed to the surface. Soften up their ground defenses before the ground troops get there," Sabine said.

"Once a suitable staging area on the surface is secured, we will be deploying combat vehicles to assist. I want 6 Scorpion tanks and two dozen warthogs on the ground. Those tanks will have to cover our M400 Kodiak tanks. If the enemy force rallies at one point I want our Kodiaks to focus fire on their position," Lasky said.

"I'm sorry, what's the M400 Kodiak?" Sabine asked.

"It's basically heavy artillery," Lasky began to explain.

"That would help, right?" Ezra asked.

"It would, actually," Sabine agreed.

"If any enemy fighters strafe our ground units, we won't have any way to fend them off," Ezra realized. "Yes we'd have fighter and bomber support, but in the event the TIEs..."

Lasky interrupted, "Then we'll send down our Mammoth."

"A what?"

"The M510 Mammoth. It's a very heavy, very large vehicle armed weapons to combat fighters and also warships. It has a mini MAC on it," Lasky explained.

"It's armed with a MAC?" Sabine asked.

Lasky nodded, "That's used for anti-warship strikes. That and it can also be used as the ground unit's mobile command center if need be."

"You guys have everything," Ezra said.

"We like to be prepared," Lasky nodded.

"Do we have anything like that?" Ezra asked Sabine.

"I don't think so," Sabine said.

"How do we know your Mammoth wouldn't be destroyed by Imperial fighters or bombing runs?" Hera asked.

"We don't, but if their weaponry is anything like the Covenants, then we'll hold out just fine," Lasky replied.

"It may not have shielding, but the armor is tough enough for any plasma blast from a Banshee or a Wraith to not even scratch it," Palmer said.

"Well I wouldn't go that far," Lasky said, "but it can take a beating and not slow down. Unless the Empire has a really big gun, it would be nearly indestructible."

"Another problem the Mammoth has," Palmer began, "It's vulnerable to boarding parties. That being said it's going to need a vehicle and infantry escort."

"We can help cover that," Rex said as he entered the bridge.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Lasky asked.

"I'm not sure, honestly," Rex said. "I was inspecting your Spartan training deck and it reminds me of my days back in the Clone War."

"So you're a veteran? It's an honor, sir," Lasky said.

"You don't need to do that, if anything I'm calling you sir," Rex chuckled. "CT-7567, Clone captain Rex, reporting for duty."

"Rex here is one of our top commanders in the Rebellion," Hera said. "He wanted to be on this mission and I allowed him."

"I don't have a problem with that. So you checked out the Spartan deck; how'd you like it?"

"It's incredible. Traded war stories with a few of your men down there," Rex said.

"Back to business," Palmer said, though she respectfully nodded to Rex afterwards.

"I can't recall ever seeing the Mandalorian surface in person," Rex began, "but with Sabine's help, I believe I may be able to help coordinate the ground troops and staging areas, all while marking strategic objectives."

"That will be very helpful, thank you," Lasky said.

"You can do that on board the Mammoth. Our heavy mobile command center that we're going to deploy after we break through this Imperial blockade," Roland said.

Rex whistled, "That's a pretty strong looking blockade they've got there. You guys sure you can break through that?"

"We're going to have to. We're prepared for it," Lasky said.

"I wish you luck. When are we deploying?"

"As soon as we're all ready," Lasky said. He turned to the Chief. "Get your team ready. Palmer, are your Spartans ready?"

"As ready as they'll ever be," Palmer said.

"Good. I want every Spartan on standby for deployment," Lasky said.

"I almost forgot to mention many Mandalorians that are loyal to the Empire will be there. They'll be the ones flying around in different equipment," Sabine warned.

"Thanks for that," Chief said. "We'll keep our eyes open."

"Captain, are we a go on the Op?" the nav officer asked.

"We are. Send us in," Lasky said.

…

The Imperial officers watched in horror as nearly a hundred slipspace ruptures appeared in front of them, however they were out of range for the moment.

"Sir, that's a UNSC fleet! What are your orders?"

"Get the fleet into position. They're going to try to break our blockade," the Imperial captain barked. "We can't let them pass."

…

"All ships have reported in, Captain."

"Good. Carriers, spread out, two on each side of _Infinity_. I want two battleships, four cruisers, 6 destroyers and 10 frigates per carrier," Lasky said. "I want our smaller ships to protect the capital ships. I want only our battleships to engage at longer ranges. Get our fighters in position around each battle group."

"All ships are moving into position, Captain."

"This isn't what we usually do," Roland said.

"Well we want to make sure we keep them Empire from knowing our real tactics and strategies for as long as we can," Lasky said. "We'll use our normal stuff later on."

Roland nodded, "Yes sir."

"All ships are in position."

"Battleships, as soon as your MACs are in range, you are cleared to engage," Lasky said.

All the carrier battle groups advanced a few hundred meters and the battleships began to open fire on the Imperial Star Destroyers.

…

"Captain, star cruisers 17, 19, 24, and 25 have taken direct hits from the enemy!"

"Are we in range?"

"Negative, captain."

"How is that possible?" the captain asked.

"I don't know, sir. Do we push the fleet forward?"

"Not the entire fleet. They might be baiting us. Send four groups of four Star Destroyers to engage the enemy battle groups, but do not engage their flagship until every other ship is destroyed."

"Yes sir!"

…

"Captain Lasky, the enemy is deploying four different SD groups to engage our carrier fleets," Rex said.

"How do you know?"

"Look over there," Rex said, pointing to four groups of Star Destroyers advancing.

"All ships, enemy contacts incoming. Order targets by threat, weapons free," Lasky ordered.

Every single fighter, cruiser, frigate, battleship, and carrier all activated their point defense systems and anti ship armaments, marking the official beginning of another deadly battle.


	18. Surface Bombing

**Chapter 18**

The carrier groups exchanged fire with the Imperial warships at near close range. UNSC formations were holding strong, but the smaller crafts were getting shredded by concentrated Imperial fire. Battleships used their MACs to cripple or destroy entire ships and it didn't take too long for the Imperial battle groups to be eliminated.

"Captain, our carrier groups are cleared of combat," a comm officer reported.

"Push the entire fleet up. We need to break their lines," Lasky ordered. "Separate battle groups aren't going to work very well from here, are they?" he asked Rex.

"Not likely," Rex replied. He activated the holotable again and simulated a stable formation. The four carriers would be positioned in a spearhead formation, with _Infinity_ as the point. The battleships, cruisers, and frigates would be layered around the whole fleet, battleships being closest to the carriers. Cruisers, destroyers, and frigates would form an outer perimeter, providing a first line of defense against incoming fighters or missiles.

"So two _Punic_ carriers on both sides of _Infinity_?" Lasky asked.

"Yup. Sort of like a spearhead," Rex said.

"Alright, so four _Punic_ -class supercarriers, two on each side, all 8 _Vindication_ -class battleships spread out all around the fleet, all 8 _Marathon_ -class heavy cruisers, the other 8 _Halcyon_ -class light cruisers in similar formation as the heavy cruisers, all 18 _Halberd_ -class destroyers, 20 _Paris_ -class and 20 _Strident_ -class frigates as the outer shell... that right?" Lasky asked.

"Yes, sir," Rex nodded.

"May I recommend our _Punic_ ships form more of a square formation? Two high and two low?" Ezra asked.

"Not a bad idea, actually," Rex said.

"We can do that," Lasky said. "Roland, relay the formation coordinates to the fleet."

"Already on it, Captain," the AI replied.

Moments later, every single ship in the UNSC battle fleet was moving into formation.

"If this formation works, we might just have to add it to our own tactics," Lasky said as he looked around. "All ships, advance. Slowly. Order targets by range."

…

"Our star destroyer groups were destroyed, sir, and the enemy fleet is advancing at a slow pace," an Imperial officer reported to the Mandalorian.

"They certainly have impressive weaponry, for being a more primitive race," the Mando captain said.

"What are your orders, sir?" the officer asked.

"Keep the fleet in position. We'll need some help since their flagship is here."

"Sir, if we take out their flagship, the fleet will be in disarray. You of all of us should know that," the officer said. "With all due respect, sir."

"No, I understand that clearly. But look at the size of that ship. If we take control of it, we could do more damage to our enemies than our own super star destroyers," Saxon said.

"Maybe if we hit their battleships and carriers, we can take out their fighter support?"

"No, those ships are too heavily covered by those smaller vessels. Alert the fleet; tell them to fire at anything they wish," Saxon said.

"Yes sir!"

…

The enemy fleet began firing on the UNSC cruisers and destroyers, but they also were met with heavy fire. MAC guns from the _Paris_ -class frigates filled the space between the two fleets, their trails leaving an almost beam-like appearance in the empty area. Missiles were flying at high speeds towards the Star Destroyers and dealt considerable damage to their shields and armor. The battleships held their fire until they were at a closer range, or aligned to the nearest starships.

The Broadswords did a great job keeping the TIEs off the larger ships and also even escorting the Longswords with their bombing runs. Several ISDs lost power and began falling towards the planet's surface, but several UNSC frigates, destroyers, and light cruisers were also destroyed. Nevertheless, the UNSC continued their push towards the Imperial line. Lasky ordered the fleet to maintain current course and speed, but focus fire on the center of the blockade.

"We only need to clear the way for the ODST units and our Pelicans. If we can destroy or cripple every Imperial vessel, that would be more preferable," Lasky said.

The MAC guns on the frigates, cruisers, and battleships all began firing as fast as they could. Missiles were being reloaded and launched from their launch tubes at a slightly faster rate as well. They needed to throw everything they had at this blockade.

As another Imperial ship began to fall, Roland noticed a hole in the blockade.

"Captain, we have successfully punched a hole in their blockade, but their fleet is already moving to close the gap."

"All cruisers, move up ahead of the fleet. Keep that hole open for as long as you can," Lasky ordered.

All the _Halcyon_ -class light cruisers and _Marathon_ -class heavy cruisers pushed ahead and opened up every single gun and missile silo they had; effectively slowing the Imperial maneuver.

 _"Captain, all cruisers are in position. We are holding them back for now, but I don't know for how much longer,_ " a captain of one of the Marathon's reported through the comms.

"Acknowledged," Lasky replied. "I need our frigates to move up and support them. Fighter and bomber wings, support them. We need to push them apart."

…

"Sir! Our center is gone. They've broken through, but they don't seem to be making a move towards the surface as of yet," an officer reported to the last living Saxon leader.

"Push them back! We need to keep this blockade solid!" Saxon barked.

"They've already formed a perimeter in the gap. We can't focus on them and the main fleet at the same time!"

The officer had a point. If they focused their fire on the cruisers separating the blockade, the primary fleet would be able to approach without taking fire. If they focused all their fire on the advancing UNSC fleet, the cruisers and frigates separating the two Imperial fleets would be pushed back easily. If they fired half at the cruisers, and half at the advancing fleet... either way, they're screwed.

"Fire half at the UNSC on our flank, and everything else at the advancing fleet," Saxon ordered. He turned to another officer. "Prep my shuttle. I'm going to the surface to prepare our ground troops."

The officer saluted the Mandalorian and rushed back to his station to contact the hangar.

…

"Several escape pods have been detected all around the fleet, Captain," Roland reported.

"Let's finish this fight and then send out SAR," Lasky said. "There's still too much enemy fire to operate. Continue to press the assault."

"We are approaching the gap, Captain. The Imperial fleet is being pushed apart," a tactical officer reported.

"Keep everything clear for our ground troops. I need Longswords to bombard the surface, but do not target civilian areas."

"Sir, there'll be a lot of anti aircraft fire down there," Sabine began. "If you send down your bombers, they'll get shot down."

"I suppose… Prepare for orbital bombardment, then," Lasky said.

The _Infinity_ , along with the rest of the fleet, maneuvered into position. The UNSC fleet was now fighting a battle on two fronts, but the Imperial blockade was already broken and scattered. No more than 15 ISDs were left on either side of them.

"All ships reporting in position, Captain," Roland said.

"What's the status of the enemy fleet?"

"They're broken and disorganized. We've almost got all of them, but there's still heavy resistance on both sides. Our battleships down to the frigates are engaged in close quarters combat as we speak. Our carriers are standing by."

"Tell all ships to regroup with _Infinity_ and that we'll clean up the rest of the ISDs," Lasky said.

"Already on it," Roland said.

Lasky turned to Sabine.

"Before you deploy to the surface, I'll need you to relay suitable bombing coordinates. We need to secure the landing zone with minimal civilian casualties."

Sabine nodded and turned to Ezra. "I'll meet you in the hangar."

Ezra nodded and followed the marines to the hangar. He was going to be deployed with the last group this time since the landing zone is likely to be 'hot' or something like that.

"You never heard of that term before?" a marine asked Ezra as they were gearing up. Ezra was given some specially designed UNSC military grade body armor. Same protection, but not as much coverage since he needs the arm room for using his lightsaber, which is a weapon the marines are still fascinated about.

"I don't think I've heard it like that before, no," Ezra admitted.

"It mean the landing zone is dangerous. Lot's of incoming fire," another marine replied.

"Oh... okay," Ezra muttered as the marines laughed.

…

"We should fire here," Roland said as Sabine pointed to a heavily defended area of the surface on the holotable.

"That's why I pointed there," Sabine said. "There's a lot of anti aircraft guns there, so your drop pods and Pelicans wouldn't make it down in one piece."

"Not to mention a lot of other big guns on legs patrolling the area," Palmer noted as she magnified on a squadron of AT-AT walkers.

"Those are another priority. After the anti aircraft guns are knocked out, we should send those Longswords of yours to hit those walkers. Broadswords should clear the skies as well."

"The Broadswords will be escorting the Pelicans to the surface. The bombers will be moving ahead of the main force to, like you said, hit the walkers," Lasky said.

"What about the TIE fighters?" Sabine asked.

"Our Longswords are capable of defending themselves. They're not primary bombers, but multi-role. They're interceptors and heavy fighters. Just because they carry a lot of bombs and missiles, doesn't mean it's a pure bomber," Palmer said.

"In other words, it's primary function is a fighter, but it's capable of supportive roles such as interception or bombing," Lasky said.

"Ok then," Sabine shrugged.

…

 _"All hands stand by. All hands stand by."_

The automated voice kept repeating those words to the entire ship. Ezra was about to ask what they were doing, but before he could ask, the warning stopped and was replaced by Lasky's voice.

 _"All anti aircraft facilities around the landing zone have been destroyed. All available Longswords are green for launch."_

"That answers my question," Ezra muttered.

…

Four flights of Longswords, each flight consisting of 4 craft, were grouping together in high altitude of the Mandalorian atmosphere, west of their targets. The lead flight, Reaper flight, began to call out to the other three flights before beginning their bombing runs.

"This is Reaper 1 to Reaper flight. Call in," the lead Longsword pilot said to the rest of his squadron.

 _"Reaper 2, checking in."_

 _"Reaper 3, checking in."_

 _"Reaper 4, always."_

"Reaper 1 to all flights, call in."

 _"Stonewall flight, all wings reporting."_

 _"Epsilon flight, reporting."_

 _"Titan flight, all here."_

 _"That's everybody, Reaper 1,"_ Reaper 2 said.

"Reaper 1 to all flights, form up on me. Tight formation, we're going in."

All the Longswords tipped their wings and decreased their altitude and approached at high speeds towards their target, which was a large complement of Imperial tanks, walkers, and artillery.

The Longswords all leveled their wings at about 500 meters above the ground and increased to bombing speed.

"Target in sight, ETA 30 seconds."

…

The Stormtroopers were running everywhere, all of them carrying weapons or supplies, trying to strengthen their fortifications before the UNSC ground assault began. Saxon himself, as promised, was supervising the operation, though he was a little ways away.

One of the Imperial engineers stopped working, however, as he heard an interesting sound coming from the West. He looked up and saw a formation of some sort of aircraft he's never seen before. Though he never heard or saw these crafts before, he knew it wasn't Imperial.

"Incoming from the west!" he shouted, but he was too late.

Just seconds after he shouted, bombs began raining down on their position with devastating accuracy. The bombers flew over their heads at high speeds, the shockwaves of the bombs, and the passing jets, knocking boxes, crates, and people all over the compound. The bombardment continued for what seemed like an eternity before the UNSC aircraft disengaged. It was only after the smoke cleared when they saw the effects of the bombing runs. More than half of the walkers and tanks were destroyed, and all the artillery were in pieces.

…

"Good run, Reapers. I'm out of munitions and almost bingo on fuel," Reaper 1 said. "All wings, report RTB. Our jobs are finished."

 _"Epsilon 1 to Reaper 1. We have bogies inbound at high speeds from the North."_

 _"Yeah, I'm seeing that, too."  
_

" _Infinity_ , Reaper. We have several bogies inbound on our position at high speeds. Can you confirm there are no other friendly craft in the vicinity?"

 _"Reaper, this is Infinity. We can confirm. We are sending Broadswords to intercept, ETA 10 minutes."_

"Copy, Infinity. We are RTB, targets are destroyed."

 _"Acknowledged, Reaper. Well done."_

"Reaper to all flights, bandits are confirmed Imperial TIE fighters. Stay on guard."

 _"Epsilon."_

 _"Stonewall."_

 _"Titan."_

…

 _"TIEs are on us. We can barely evade their fire!"_

 _"Reaper 3 is down. Repeat, Reaper 3 is down."_

 _"Epsilon 2 is critical."_

 _"I got a TIE behind me!"_

 _"I see him, Reaper 2. I'm on him."_

 _…_

 _"Thanks Stonewall."_

"Warwolf 1 to all Longsword flights, initiate full burn to Infinity. We'll cover you."

The Broadswords entered the aerial battle and began to clear the way for the Longswords to get out.

 _"We owe you guys,"_ Reaper 1 said to the Broadsword flights.

 _"When this is over, drinks are on me,"_ Reaper 2 said.

"Looking forward to it, Reaper 2. Now let's get you boys back home," Warwolf 1 said.

 **A/N: By the way, I couldn't really think of any other good wing callsigns so I borrowed Warwolf from Ace Combat: Assault Horizon.** **Just so you know.**

"Reaper 1 to Infinity. The skies are cleared and all ground targets are destroyed. ODST drop is a go."

…

Several ODST drop pods were launched from the hull of _Infinity_ and flew straight for their designated drop zone. Seconds after they were launched, the Pelican teams were ordered to head down to the surface as well.

Pelican after Pelican flew towards the surface, each carrying their own complement of soldiers, supplies, and vehicles. Mantis, Scorpions, and everything else selected for this mission was launched. _Infinity_ even began a temporary descent to safely deploy the Mammoth, which was to be under the command of the Master Chief.

Due to the likely severity of this ground assault, the Mammoth would not be leading the charge, but would be positioned behind UNSC lines. Lasky has also taken into consideration the chances that the garrison from the nearest town would attack them, which would force them to fight on two fronts, and has a cruiser ready for an orbital bombardment.

The Pelican dropships deployed their complement of Scorpion and Kodiak tanks, the Scorpions taking defensive positions to defend the Kodiaks as they set up. The Mantis units were deployed around the tanks, to cover any blind spots the Scorpions have and for anti infantry defense. Sure enough, just as the Mantis' were being deployed, Imperial forces began their attack, forcing the Pelicans to use their roles as gunships to enable the Mantis pilots to power up.

The Imperials threw speeder bikes at the UNSC tank formation, and though many of the bikes were destroyed by missiles and gunfire, some got through and destroyed two of the Mantis units and damaged a few tanks. Nevertheless, the tanks were still operational.

"I need a status report of our condition!" the leading tank commander shouted to all other tank commanders.

"Two Mantis units are down and a couple more damaged, and several tanks have taken minor damage. One of our Kodiaks is missing a track," an officer reported.

"I suppose that's better than what could have been. What's the ETA of those ODSTs?"

As soon as he asked, several drop pods landed around their position and the ODSTs jumped out. All of them were armed to the teeth with guns and ammo, but some also had the ODST medical patch on their uniforms. The medics approached the tank crews.

"Is anybody hurt?" one of them asked.

The tank commander shook his head, "I don't think so, but we have two Mantis pilots dead over there."

...

"This battle isn't going to be like Lothal," Roland said. "I'm guessing Mandalore's liberation could span the entire length of our war."

"Let's hope it won't," Lasky said. "Though it is likely this is where an official frontline engagement could take place."

The _Infinity_ was returning to orbit after the Mammoth's departure was confirmed. On the holotable, Lasky was watching the Mammoth's descent. Where the fight began, it's still a ways from the Mandalorian capital. There's several other towns and villages in the path, but even after taking control of the capital, they'll need to hold it.

Not long before Ezra and Sabine were deploying, they received a transmission from Sabine's mother, Ursa. She didn't sound happy about the sudden news of the UNSC invading their homeworld and requested that Sabine meet with her. Ezra wanted to go with her, which Ursa didn't object to, and Lasky sent Fireteam Osiris to provide extra security for them, which Ursa heavily objected to.

It was a quick debate, which ended when Sabine explained what the Spartans were. Ursa actually seemed anxious to meet with the UNSC super soldiers and allowed them to go with.

 _"Blue Team to Infinity, the Mammoth has touched down, we're mobile,_ " Chief said through the comms.

"Acknowledged, Blue Team. All tanks are on the ground. You are green for Academy assault," Lasky said.

...

The Pelican was flying at high speeds towards the coordinates Sabine's mother provided and Sabine was getting nervous. She was pacing around the troop bay, muttering something to herself in her native tongue.

"Kid, what's she saying?" the Osiris leader, Locke, whispered to Ezra.

"I don't know," Ezra admitted. "I don't speak Mando'a."

"I thought this was your home, too," Locke said.

"Actually," Buck said. "Lothal is his home. Mandalore is her home." He pointed to Sabine, who didn't hear the three talking.

"My mistake," Locke said. "Pilot, how much farther?"

"We're about there, sir. ETA 2 minutes," the pilot replied.

"Sabine?" Ezra said to her, getting her attention.

"What is it, Ezra," she grumbled.

"Are you ok? You've never been this nervous on meeting your family before."

"Truthfully, Ezra, I'm not ok. I don't want to explain it right now," she said.

"Alright, suit yourself," Ezra said with a shrug. Still, he didn't leave her side.

"Do you mind?" she asked him.

"I'm not going to leave, Sabine. You're not going to go through all this alone. Not again," Ezra said.

Sabine was silent and she looked down to hide her face from Ezra. She didn't realize that Buck and Locke could still see her face in the slightly darkened troop bay.

"What's up with Sabine?" Locke asked Buck, knowing he's worked with them before.

"She's uh... she has a thing for Ezra. I'm not at liberty to say in detail," Buck whispered.

"Ah, ok. If that's the case, then I'll leave it be," Locke said. He glanced at the time in his HUD and spoke up. "We're here, let's move!"

The Pelican landed and the pilot opened the doors and the Spartans just calmly marched off the boarding ramp, Sabine and Ezra walking out first. Mandalorians were standing ready, their blasters trained on the Spartans.

"That's far enough, Spartans," one of the Mandalorians shouted.

"We'll comply," Locke said. He drew his MA5D assault rifle from his back and told his team to form a perimeter around the Pelican. They didn't rush as they didn't want to startle the Mandalorians. "Buck, stay on me."

"Yes sir."

"Stand down, Clan Wren," a female, yet very authoritative voice, called out from behind the Mandalorian line.

Reluctantly, every Mandalorian holstered their weapons, except for the security group, and stood aside as Ursa approached Sabine.

"Mother," Sabine muttered.

"Sabine, you actually found the time to make it," Ursa said. She glanced at Ezra and nodded politely. "Ezra Bridger. I assume you're doing well?"

"I am, Countess. You look well, yourself," Ezra replied, trying not to say something wrong.

"As polite, yet slightly awkward as always, I see," Ursa joked. "Come. We have much to discuss."

Locke glanced at the Pelican cockpit. "You can go, but stay nearby. We may need a quick escape in any case the Empire shows up."

The pilot nodded and powered up the engines.

...

"If you don't mind, Bridger, I would like to speak with my daughter in private," Ursa said.

"It's not a problem," Ezra said. "I mean, it is your planet we're on."

Ursa and Sabine disappeared behind the closing doors of the building and Ezra just sighed.

"You feeling stressed," Tristan said, approaching him.

"It's that obvious, huh?"

Tristan removed his helmet and grinned, "You're an open book, Ezra. I saw how you were looking at my sister."

Ezra blushed, "W-What? It's not what it looks like, I'm just worried..."

"About my sister," Tristan said.

Ezra let out a sigh, "Yes. I know how much her homeworld means to her... to all of you for that matter."

"Your concern is appreciated, but it's our business," Tristan said.

"I know that. It was Sabine's idea to come here."

...

"You understand that your idea of freeing Mandalore by bringing outsiders from another galaxy is highly frowned upon by our customs. Their arrival here is only making things worse," Ursa said.

"Mother, you don't understand," Sabine began. "They're not trying to free us because it's our homeworld, they're freeing us because the Empire attacked them first. Our world is under Imperial control through Saxon and that alone is why they're here."

"This is our world, we should have a say in what happens," Ursa said.

"Do we have a say in anything we want to happen anymore?" Sabine argued.

"I remember when you tried to sell out my friends to Saxon back on Krownest, and even then you were wrong about them. I've seen the UNSC in battle and they know what they're doing. They've been through countless wars as well," Sabine added.

"You've been to their world?"

"I didn't say that..."

"Then is it destroyed?" Ursa asked.

"Well... not like Mandalore, but there are patches of uninhabitable terrain on the surface from Covenant attacks in their past," Sabine replied. "We were taught a small amount of their history; they've been close to total destruction countless times, in ways similar to our own destruction. Unlike us, they knew when to hold back and stop the fighting from growing to that point."

"And what of their technology?"

"It's a bit more primitive to ours in matters of weaponry, but they have ships that can destroy super star destroyers in one, well placed shot!"

"Define primitive."

"Instead of energy, they use ballistic guns. Their super soldiers, the Spartans, are able to withstand several direct shots from an Imperial blaster and not stop fighting. Personal shielding, they call it," Sabine said.

"So their soldiers have armor and shields?" Ursa asked.

"Well... not all of them, just the Spartans."

"Alright, I've heard enough about the UNSC," Ursa said.

"You don't trust them still, do you..."

"Not really. Give me a good reason why I should!"

Sabine sighed.

"They saved my life more than once," she said. "First time, it was a Covenant attack on one of our CR90s that Ezra and I were in command of. I was captured by a faction known as the Banished and they..."

Sabine winced at the memory. "They tortured me in ways I wasn't prepared for..."

"They didn't... do anything like that, did they?" Ursa asked, worry filling her features.

"Not like that," Sabine said. "I just wasn't prepared for their tactics. Anyway, a UNSC taskforce, led by Ezra, found the Banished base on Hoth and got me out of there."

"And what of the second time?"

"Ezra and I were stranded on a Covenant weapon called a Halo Array, but this particular weapon was compromised with a kind of virus called the Flood. Remnants of the Banished were there as well. We barely escaped with our lives, all thanks to the UNSC."

"Where is this weapon?" Ursa asked.

"It's somewhere in their galaxy. We were... transported there by mistake," Sabine said.

Ursa was quiet for a few moments before she turned to a guard.

"Bring in Ezra Bridger and... Fireteam Osiris," she said.

The guard nodded and left to retrieve their guests.

When they entered the room, Locke and Buck were escorting Ezra into the room.

"My daughter explained how your people saved her life two times. Both times, Bridger was there as well. I need you to confirm what she said is the truth," Ursa said.

"Respectfully, madam," Locke began, "I can't really confirm that as my team and I weren't a part of those operations, however a rival team of mine, Spartan Blue Team were."

"Identify yourself," Ursa ordered.

"My apologies," Locke said. "I am Spartan Jameson Locke, service number 73808-3153-JL, of the UNSC Spartan Corp."

"I am Spartan Edward Buck, service number 92458-37017-EB. I helped give your daughter and Commander Bridger a glimpse of ODST training," Buck said.

"ODST?" Ursa asked slowly.

"It's an elite group within our Marine corp. It stands for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. I was an ODST before becoming a Spartan," Buck replied. "Any further details are classified."

"Understood," Ursa said.

"Countess, if I may," Ezra began. "Like Sabine mentioned, I was there for everything. I can confirm everything."

"I believe our commanding officer, Captain Lasky, can confirm as well," Locke added.

"Very well," Ursa said. "Considering that war has come to Mandalore, we should get to work. I may have information that will help this UNSC."

"We're listening," Locke said.

"Let's not discuss this here. We have a war room ready just down the hall," Ursa said.

"Very well. Lead the way," Locke said.

Everybody followed Ursa into the Mandalorian war room, Tristan also joining them. Bo Katan of Clan Kryze was standing over a holotable in the center of the room.

"I'm afraid we should go straight to the point, ahead of anything else," Ursa said. "We have Clan Kryze joining us on this operation. Will your Captain Lasky be joining us as well, Spartans?"

Locke shook his head, "He will not. His attention is focused on our war effort not far from here."

"Very well. Kryze, the table is yours," Ursa said.

Bo Katan nodded.

"My spies have taken notice of strange activity within Saxon's inner circle, especially after the UNSC's arrival in our galaxy," she began.

"What kind of activity?" Buck asked. He and Locke had already removed their helmets.

"We're not exactly sure, but we suspect they have been spying on you. We've been monitoring the blockade over our world; this wasn't just a blockade. They were waiting for you," Kryze continued, staring straight at the Spartans.

"Waiting? How?"

"This blockade wasn't built to keep people from leaving or entering, it was formed to draw your attention."

"They're baiting us?" Sabine asked.

"It's just a theory, but it's possible. What was the status of the Imperial fleet after the orbital engagement?" Kryze asked Locke.

"They were in full retreat," Locke said.

"The Empire doesn't give up easy," Ursa said. "I have contacts of my own and they said there was something planned for the UNSC forces. Whatever this plan was, however, we never found out."

"Captured?" Buck asked.

"No. Killed. My contacts were just going to return to the Imperial barracks and attempt to find out more, but they never left the base. Whoever killed them wasn't Imperial, either."

"Are you saying we have a spy in our own ranks?" Sabine asked.

"It makes sense," Tristan said. "Wherever we attack, the Empire focuses the bulk of their forces to us."

"Do we know who this spy is?" Sabine asked.

"As of yet, no. We're waiting for a clue before suspecting anybody," Ursa said.

"What I want to know is how the Empire knew we were going after Mandalore," Locke said.

"That's the other thing," Ursa began. "Saxon is likely spying on you as well. How he's doing it, we don't really know. All we know is that he's been spying on something since before the USNC..."

"UNSC," Locke corrected.

"My apologies, UNSC declared war on the Empire."

"They fired the first shot," Buck said.

"They always do," Sabine grumbled.

"We've caught a cloaked ship following us just before the Empire attacked us, but we've calibrated our scanners to find anything cloaked."

"They figured that out," Tristan said.

"What?"

"They know you calibrated your sensors to catch them, so they've started rotating their cloaking frequencies regularly," Tristan said.

"If that's the case, they probably know about our Gate," Buck said.

" _Infinity_ 's never been to the gate," Locke said. "Chances are, they still don't know about it."

"I'm sorry," Ursa interrupted, "But what do you mean by a Gate?"

"We were first transported here via wormhole, or so we think. Since then it has collapsed and we can't find anything else here to get us home," Locke said.

"I'm afraid the details of the Gate are classified. Not even the Rebellion should know about its location or purpose."

"It sounds like it's used to transport ships to and from this galaxy from your own," Bo Katan said.

"Well, uh... yes," Buck said.

"So also by the sound of things, you have this Gate completed?" Ursa asked.

"Yes, but location is classified," Buck said.

"Then why are you and your people still in this galaxy?" Tristan asked.

"We got involved before the Gate was an idea for us," Locke said. "We attempted to stay out of any conflict so we can get home safely, but the Empire had other plans."

"Knowing them, they're wanting to invade your galaxy and annex it to their Empire," Ursa said.

"I'd like to see them try to invade our home," Buck said.

"Oh they'll try," Sabine said. "If they find this Gate and get through, the Rebellion wouldn't be able to help you."

Buck grinned, "Well we do also have the Covenant back home."

"That reminds me," Ezra began, "Whatever happened to the Arbiter?"

"He's been under radio silence lately. My guess is he's doing some reconnaissance," Locke said.

"Tristan, if you will take Commander Bridger somewhere else?" Ursa requested suddenly.

"What, why?" Sabine asked.

"There's something I'd like to discuss with you and these Spartans. Your _boyfriend_ should have no part in our affairs."

Sabine's face turned a bright red, "Mother! He's n-not..."

"Tristan," Ursa said.

"Yes, mother. Ezra, if you would follow me."

"Okay then..." Ezra said.


	19. Imperial Counter-Offensive

**Chapter 19**

"Mammoth is mobile," a marine said as the enormous mobile command center began to move steadily towards the Imperial line. While the UNSC was setting up in their small foothold on Mandalorian ground, the garrison from the Academy and other surrounding forts rallied to meet them, bringing their own tanks and walkers to combat the UNSC vehicles and infantry.

"Keep it steady," Chief said as he look out towards the broken landscape. Craters littered the ground from the UNSC bombings, but that also brought cover to the troops in the flat landscape. They never realized everything was literally flattened, except for some mountains in the distance and the cities, until they landed on the surface.

"Any word from Commanders Bridger and Wren?" Cortana asked the Chief.

"No, but I'm sure they're fine," he replied.

"Enemy fighters, bearing 3-2-5," a marine called out. Several other marines took their places at the .50 caliber machine guns lining the left side of the Mammoth, all with M19-B surface to air missile launchers. They had the capability to take down Banshees with relative ease, so TIEs wouldn't be a problem.

The Imperial fighters began to strafe the Mammoth and the other surrounding tanks and Warthogs, all of which also returned fire, filling the air with bullets. Many of the TIE's wings were punctured with several holes, as were the capsules housing the pilots. Many TIEs were shot down, but more took their places.

"Why are there so many of them now?" Chief asked calmly.

"The Empire has a stronger presence here than on Lothal. They're throwing everything they have into this air strike, but something's different about some of those TIEs," Cortana replied. "Look at their wings. About half of them are the standard TIE fighters, but the others seem to have been specially built for atmospheric combat."

Chief nodded, "You're right. Anything on the database?"

"I'm not seeing much, so if I had to guess, it's an experimental fighter," Cortana said.

Chief watched as the newer TIEs outran, and outshot, the standard TIE fighters.

"It's definitely a lot faster and more heavily armed, Chief," Cortana said.

"I don't like it," he said as a Warthog exploded in front of them.

"Neither do I, but it gets worse."

Chief turned and saw a formation of 8 Gozanti-class cruisers flying at low speed towards the UNSC line. They were under an escort of 10 Arquitens cruisers as well.

"There's too many fighters for those ships to carry. They must have an airfield nearby," Cortana said.

"Then we'll need to take that out first if we're going to get anywhere," Chief said. " _Infinity_ , can we get a possible confirmation of an airfield near our location?"

 _"We're seeing an outpost about 4 klicks away from the Mammoth. Seems there are a lot more fighters being launched."_

"We're going to need some more air support," Chief said.

 _"We are unable to send our fighters. We've detected several ships massing outside the system. Possibly an Imperial counter-offensive."_

"What about the Wasps?"

 _"We might have some time to get those down there, but they wouldn't be fast enough to efficiently combat those TIEs."_

"Anything would help."

...

Even though the battle was so far away, the Mandalorians of Clan Wren could still hear the rapid cracks of automatic gunfire. though it was very faint. Ezra was standing outside with Tristan, listening to the relatively unfamiliar warfare that the entire planet was bearing witness to.

"You've fought with those guys, correct?" Tristan asked.

Ezra nodded. "They helped me liberate my homeworld, and they even have a defense fleet set up there in case the Empire tries to take it back."

"I know the Empire is large and everything, but they would be stupid to think they could handle two sides of the UNSC at one time. From the reports of that space battle in our orbit, it sounds like they would be spread a bit thin."

"Lothal was worse."

"Really?"

Ezra nodded again. "The Empire almost won, but UNSC reinforcements arrived just in time. They even lost two super star destroyers."

"Seriously? How?"

"One well-placed shot to their reactor. Their MAC guns are powerful enough to break through our own shields and break the hull."

"MAC?"

"I... can't really explain. Then again, I don't really know much about them, either."

"Yeah, with how well equipped the Rebellion is, I wouldn't trust you with vital information, either," Tristan joked.

"Thanks," Ezra groaned sarcastically.

The air was filled with nothing but the distance gunfire when a bunch of UNSC ships flew past their area at relatively high speeds, towards the fighting.

...

 _"Chief, this is Infinity. The Wasps were knocked way off course by some sort of jetstream. They've landed about 15 klicks away, but are reported to be heading your way. ETA is 10 minutes."_

 **A/N: I have no idea how fast these things can go so the ETA is more than likely to be inaccurate.**

"Thanks," Cortana replied. Chief was too busy trying to keep Imperials from getting close with a Spartan laser and a rocket launcher he grabbed from the Mammoth's armory. "We've thinned out their fighters, but we can see more of them. That second wave is almost here. I don't suppose you could spare a couple frigates or cruisers?"

 _"Not a chance. We need every starship up here to meet the Imperials."_

"Of course you do. What about the Arbiter?"

 _"We've lost all contact with the Arbiter since after the formation of our alliance. He's likely under strict comm silence to hunt down that Banished carrier."_

"Of course he is."

 _"This is Striker wing to all friendlies down there. We see the fighters, but we're still 5 minutes out!"_

"Acknowledged, Striker. We'll keep these guys focused on us while you hit their backs," Chief said as he fired another missile at an approaching TIE.

"Enemy cruisers in range!" a Mammoth operator shouted.

"Fire the main gun! Take them down!" the Mammoth commander shouted.

The large 35cm HRG mini MAC turned towards the still slowly advancing Gozanti and Arquitens cruisers and fired. Several TIEs, unfortunate enough to be flying between the Mammoth and the targeted ship, exploded with the cruiser; the debris and shockwave throwing the other ships off course. Normally, the ships would fall from loss of power before either exploding from a overloading reactor core or hitting the surface. This time, the shot went straight through the Arquitens and forced it to explode with no chance of gaining distance between it and the rest of the formation. Another Arquitens nearly collided with a Gozanti, but they were just barely able to avoid contact, the Arquitens maneuvering over the Gozanti. However, another MAC shot to the engines forced the Arquitens to fall onto the Gozanti, effectively pushing it to the surface for good.

Several AV-49 Wasps arrived and started lighting up the remaining TIEs.

...

"What was that?" Tristan asked, upon hearing several loud explosions, and a lot more gunfire.

"I don't know," Ezra replied. "But I think they're getting serious."

Buck, who also heard the distant gunfire and explosions, stepped out of the building and approached Ezra and Tristan.

"Hey, Buck," Ezra began. "What's going on?"

"MAC guns," he replied simply.

"Again, what's a MAC?"

"Basically a large coilgun," Buck answered.

"I still don't know what that is."

"A very big, and very powerful slugthrower," Buck sighed. "Also, Sabine's asking for you, Ezra."

"Did they stop talking?" Ezra asked.

"We finished explaining our intentions, so for the moment, yes. Sabine's in the training room."

...

The TIE fighters started to retreat after the last cruiser fell. They tried to maneuver to avoid that big cannon on the massive vehicle ahead of the Imperial line, but to no avail. The Empire was losing their air superiority. It was up to the ground units to hold off the attackers until reinforcements arrived.

"Commander!" an Imperial officer approached Saxon. "Enemy forces have halted their advance, but our air groups are nearly destroyed."

"They have done their part. What's the status of our ground forces?"

"They are holding permission and are awaiting your command. All nearby forts and bases have responded to your request and have sent more than half of their troops and walkers."

"Have we replaced all the walkers and artillery lost in those bombings?"

"Yes sir, thought the artillery is still being set up. It won't be long before the UNSC discover the cannons."

"Tell the light armored battalions to advance. We need to test their strength."

"Sacrifice our men?"

"We must know more about this UNSC before they cause more chaos to the Empire. I would be happy to arrange a cell for you if you'd like to question my orders."

The officer stammered, "T-That won't be necessary, sir. I'll relay the order to the front."

Saxon nodded as the Imperial officer walked away.

...

"Sir, we have walkers approaching. AT-STs by the looks of them," a UNSC sniper reported.

"Range?" Chief asked.

"About 1500 meters, sir. Our tanks are still being repaired from the air strikes, and our Wasps are being refueled and rearmed here."

"Form a defensive front line. We can't let them break our lines. Cortana, can you get through to _Infinity_?"

"Negative. I think we're being jammed."

Chief looked out at the approaching walkers. "Then we're on our own for the time being."

"Not that that's ever stopped you," Cortana remarked.

...

"Captain, multiple HP signatures entering the system!" the nav officer shouted.

Lasky looked out into space as several dozen Imperial II star destroyers appeared, along with a super star destroyer.

"Another SSD? This isn't good," he muttered. "All hands to combat stations!"

"Sir, I'm reading two separate fleets of star destroyers on our port and starboard flanks!" Roland reported.

"Looks like the remains of that blockade called for help after all."

"All ships reporting, Captain. They're ready and waiting."

Lasky nodded, "Good. Let the Empire come to us. Don't let a single ship get through!"

Turbolaser fire started battering the UNSC fleet's shields while the Imperial ships were taking hits from missiles and guns. Their shields doing little to stop the shells, but something seemed different about the super star destroyer.

"Captain, our cannons are penetrating their shields, but I scanned their hull and noticed that there's not a lot of damage."

"They must be fitted with better armor," Lasky said. "Hold on the MACs. We don't want to use up all of our shots."

"What about the Paris-class frigates?" Roland asked.

"That's their main weapon so they can do what they want," Lasky replied. "Our MACs are for a last resort."

"Yes sir!"

"Can we get a signal to the Lothal fleet or the Gate defense fleet?"

"We can't get anything through, sir!" the comm officer reported.

 _Infinity_ shook as several TIE bombers strafed their shields.

"Launch all wings. Drive those fighters off of us!"

All the UNSC fighters started to engage the TIEs, but for any TIEs the Empire lost, more took their place. The UNSC fighters could barely keep up. The piloting skills of the two strongest militaries in the galaxy were being put to the test. More Imperial TIE fighters were lost than the UNSC's Broadswords, but the sheer number of TIEs were keeping the pilots from flying straight. Missile combat was starting to come to play.

 _"We can't fly straight long enough to get a clean shot!"_

"Use missiles. All you need is a lock and you can get them!" the flight leader said. He tipped his wing and turned to engage in a dogfight with a TIE Interceptor.

 _"Warwolf 1, you have another TIE on your tail!"_

"I see him! Just a little more time..."

Green energy bolts lit up the cockpit as they flew past and the alarms blared through the cockpit speakers.

 _"Warwolf, disengage!"_

"Negative... I've got a little trick I want to show these guys," Warwolf 1 said. He started banking right as if he was going to disengage and the TIE pilot behind him took the bait. As the TIE started to follow him, Warwolf 1 suddenly banked left and spun his fighter around. The TIE fighter tried to swing back around to remain on Warwolf's tail, but it was too late. The two 35mm cannons on the Broadsword tore through the TIE's hull and the rapid depressurization through the holes forced the command pod to explode in a brief cloud of air.

 _"That was one hell of a maneuver, Warwolf 1,"_ Warwolf 2 began, _"But I can do better."_

"I'd like to see you try!"

 _"Cut the chatter Warwolf flight. Focus on the battle!"_

"Copy that, Captain. You heard the man, enough fooling around. We have a job to do."

...

Ezra opened the door to the training room and found Sabine beating the stuffing out of a punching bag. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concentration as she laid another heavy punch on the bag, sending it swinging wildly through on it's chain.

"You alright?" Ezra asked. "I heard you were asking for me."

"I was," she replied as she kicked the bag upon its return.

"Something you want to talk about?"

"My mother is keeping us here while the UNSC fights the Empire on our soil," she growled. Another flurry of punches filled the empty training room with loud, rapid thuds, making a slight crack at the connection with her fists and the punching bag.

An alarm sounded and Sabine ran over to a control board on the far wall, shutting off the training alarm and pressing a few more buttons, sending the punching bag into storage.

"Is she not going to fight with us?" Ezra asked.

"Oh she's going to help," Sabine said. "She just doesn't want me to go with."

"She's worried for you?"

"For once, yes."

"And... what about me?" Ezra asked.

"She's not sure. She still doesn't want you to be, and I quote her words, my _boyfriend_ , but she has taken to consideration what you've done for me."

"What does that mean?"

"In other words, she's considering making you my personal bodyguard."

"A bodyguard?"

"Not exactly, but something like that."

Ezra sighed.

"You don't seem to be excited that you get to stay with me," Sabine said.

"No, it's not that. I'm thrilled, but... We should be helping the UNSC. And I don't think your mother would let you be alone with me."

"She's not. She was going to have the UNSC guys keep an eye on you, but they said that they would have to leave as soon as they get called back to the frontlines," Sabine explained.

"So you're upset that your stuck with me and that you don't get to fight on the frontlines..." Ezra muttered.

"Well... actually, I'm only upset about not fighting the frontline," Sabine admitted. "I wouldn't want anybody else to keep an eye on me."

Ezra grinned, "So my flirting did help?"

"Shh," Sabine hissed, "There could be people listening."

Ezra raised his hands in surrender.

"And no, your flirting didn't do that," Sabine finished. "It was... something you've done for me."

"And what would that be?" Ezra asked.

"I'm not going to tell you," Sabine replied.

"Why not?"

"Because you should already know," Sabine said, laughing.

"Hey, you two," somebody called out from the door.

"What's going on?" Ezra asked.

Buck approached them and handed them each an M6 Magnum. "Shooting practice. Gives us something to do while we're here."

"Is my mother okay with this?" Sabine asked.

"She made it clear not to put any holes in the walls, but yes. Have any targets?"

"Of course. I'll set them up," Sabine said as she ran to the far wall.

...

 _"Heavy ~~~~ We need ~~~ rein~~~ents~~~~"_

"Ground force, repeat! You're breaking up!"

Roland looked at Lasky. "We lost them. The Imperials are jamming our transmissions."

"All of the ships?" Lasky asked.

"I'm detecting interference from their flagship," Roland said. "There's a lot of Imperial IIs in the way so our MACs probably wouldn't be able to take out that SSD very easily."

"Charge our MACs and fire at the first opening at that super," Lasky said.

"All ships have been alerted, Captain," Roland said. "Our cruisers will try to punch a hole in their defensive formation."

Lasky watched as several of his cruisers started using their own MACs to take down the Imperial ships. But something was terribly wrong after the first two Imperial ships fell. They started tanking their shots.

"Roland, what is happening?"

"I don't know! The only time I saw a shield taking our MACs like that was the Covenant!"

"The Empire's shields are different from the Covenant," Lasky said.

"There might be something the Rebellion knows, but we can't get in contact with them. Their fleet isn't ready to assist us."

"Maybe the Mandalorians have some ships. We can send a Pelican down to get some help," Palmer said.

"Palmer," Lasky began, "I want you to go to these coordinates on the surface."

Palmer looked at the coordinates and frowned. "These aren't at the frontline."

"No, but Bridger and Wren were headed there earlier. They should know what these Imperial ships are equipped with, and if there's a way around it."

...

 _CRACK!..._

 _CRACK!..._

"Nice shot, Sabine," Buck said. "Looks like you've been practicing."

Sabine stood up from her prone position and hung her SRS99 sniper rifle on her shoulder. "It's got a kick to it."

Ezra was sitting on a crate nearby, icing his shoulder. He nearly dislocated it after firing one shot. He let his shoulder relax a little too much and he wasn't prepared for the kickback.

"Yeah, a good kick that nearly tore my arm off," he joked.

"You don't want to be too tense, but not too soft, either. Even a Spartan can feel the kick," Buck said.

"Spartan!" a Mandalorian ran into the room and approached Buck.

"What is it?"

"There's something approaching. It looks like one of your own," the Mando said.

"I'll check it out. Ezra, Sabine, come with me," Buck said.

...

The Pelican flew over the building and landed in the clearing right next to Buck and the other UNSC soldiers with the two Rebels. The bay doors opened and Spartan Palmer walked out with her own Spartan fireteam.

"Commander," Buck began. "What's going on?"

"Our comms are jammed, but if there's a war room, we should get to it."

"I can take you there," Sabine said. She led everybody to the war room and activated the holo.

"To start," Palmer began, "A large Imperial fleet has engaged our fleet in orbit and managed to jam our comms. So far, only their flagship, an SSD, is the source of the jamming."

"Why didn't you guys use the MACs?" Buck asked.

"We did, but there's something wrong. They seem to be using a new shield and better armor to protect their ships. We were hoping commanders Bridger and Wren could help us," Palmer explained.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asked.

"I've got the data with me, and constructed a simulation from the data," the female Spartan said, pulling a chip from her helmet and plugging it into the holotable. The simulation started to play.

The _Infinity_ fired both forward MAC guns, but the shot barely penetrated the shield. The rounds fragmented and pierced a bit of the hull of the SSD, but it wasn't nearly enough to bring it down.

"That's not good," Sabine muttered.

"So you know what it is?" Palmer asked.

"I can't be completely certain, but it looks like they've put ray shields on their ships," Sabine said.

"Ray shields?"

"They're very different from the average energy, and have a similarity to the deflector shield, but it's better suited to keeping physical objects from reaching them."

"Physical objects like projectiles?"

"Exactly, but what worries me, is how they're using it. Ray shields are used for protecting key systems in large ships or stations, sometimes even used in traps. I've never seen a ray shield used for protecting an entire ship."

"Is there a way we can beat them?" Buck asked.

"If there isn't, then we might not have a fleet after this fight," Palmer said.

"Actually, that's not going to happen," Sabine said. "First off, their weapons systems won't be able to fire through the shield. You can't disable one part of the shield, either. If they want to open fire, they will have to shut it down first."

"Okay, but what if they decide not to fire at all? So far I haven't seen them fire."

"Then there's nothing they can really do. As soon as they lower their ray shields, your missiles and cannons would tear it apart... somehow."

"Is there a way to disable the shield?" Palmer asked. "As long as it's operational, the Empire would have a stable battlefield command."

"It would take an impossible amount of power to cover the entire ship, and even with regular shields, the Star Destroyers have weak spots. Usually their engines are vulnerable to attacks with or without shields. Cripple their engines, they won't be able to go anywhere."

"So if we started doing some kind of damage, they could otherwise get away."

"Correct," Sabine said. "As for the actual shield, theoretically a proton torpedo could damage the shield's integrity and eventually shut it down. Maybe and Ion barrage."

"We should relay this to the Captain," Palmer said.

"I'm only theorizing the Ion and Proton idea, but no shield is completely invulnerable," Sabine said.

There was a bright light through the polarized windows and a loud crash, startling everybody in the war room. UNSC, Mandalorian, and Rebels alike all ran outside and watched in as a large ship fell through the sky and crashed into the ground.


	20. Mandalore - The Second Requiem

**Chapter 20**

 **10 Minutes Earlier...**

"We need to hold out until Palmer returns from the surface or until we get communications back online," Lasky said. "Can we do that, Roland?"

"It's very likely, sir, but we can't hold out forever. Who knows what other weapons the Empire might use against us."

 _"Infinity, this is Warwolf. I'm seeing some movement behind the enemy line, but I don't know what it is. How copy?"_

"Clear copy, Warwolf," Lasky replied. "Can you try to get a closer look?"

 _"Negative. There are a lot of fighters and their ships would tear me up."_

"Alright, just keep those TIEs off us then."

 _"Copy."_

The firefight between the two major fleets continued, the UNSC proving to be more than a match to the Imperial SDs. With every 2 UNSC frigates lost, 4 Imperial star destroyers were also lost. However, the Imperials had a significant advantage over the UNSC in terms of numbers. Their tactic of overwhelming enemy opposition was proving effective now that they were prepared for the engagement.

"Captain, I'm detecting more enemy guns locked on _Infinity_!" Roland reported.

Lasky, believing it was just another artillery barrage by one of the Imperial star destroyers, remained unconcerned for the moment...

But it wasn't just any artillery barrage.

The shots hit _Infinity_ 's shields and immediately they were shut down, allowing more of these strange blasts to hit the armor. The _Infinity_ began to list to the side and slowly fall out of formation.

"Mayday Mayday! This is _UNSC Infinity_ to all ships. We've lost all power and are falling towards the planet!"

Every communications station was going off with similar reports from other ships while Lasky watched as the Imperial fleet forcefully retakes control of Mandalore space.

...

"Chief!" Cortana shouted in the Spartan's ears. "Look over there!"

Chief followed the small arrows in his HUD until they rested on the _Infinity_ appearing from the clouds. The sight quickly reminded him of his fight on Requiem against the Didact. Chief didn't need to ask what was going on, he only wanted to know their destination.

"It looks like they're going to crash behind enemy lines," Cortana said.

"Is there a way we can get through to them?" Chief asked.

"I'm figuring that out. We might have to break through the Imperial lines to reach them," Cortana said.

"There's no time for that."

The Chief scanned the Imperial lines and the falling _Infinity_.

"If _Infinity_ fell," a marine began, "then we're done for."

"It's not the first time I've seen this," Chief said.

"It looks like it was hit by some sort of EMP," Cortana said.

"Chief?" Fred asked.

"I'm going ahead," he replied. "We need to get to the _Infinity_ ASAP."

"This isn't the Covenant," Kelly said. "One of us should go with you."

"No. I need to do this alone. You three need to protect the formation. The sooner we can knock out their Academy and surrounding forts, the quicker it will be to get off this planet."

"Fine, but first we'll need a plan to get you there faster," Fred said.

"The sun looks to be past noon already," Cortana pointed out. "Chief, plug me into a terminal, would you?"

John pulled the AI chip out of his helmet and plugged it into a console inside the Mammoth. Immediately, the blue, female AI appeared and opened a map.

"I was thinking maybe using a Warthog and rushing to a weak point in their lines, dropping Chief off just outside," Fred suggested.

"That won't work," Cortana objected. "The Warthog is too loud for something like that so a night operation with it would fail."

"Do we have anything silent?" Chief asked.

"Not that I know of," Cortana answered. "We might just have to go on foot."

"The Imperial line is still a good long way away from our current position," Linda said. "We could take advance by air to a specific LZ for quick deployment..."

"No," Kelly said. "We'd still be very far from the front line. If they were to see our aircraft flying so close, they'd get suspicious."

"We will need to break their line, then," Fred said.

"Cortana, how about a false air raid?" Chief suggested.

"I'm listening," the AI replied.

"We gather some Wasps and rush their lines, pretending to soften it up while our aircraft secretly diverts from the 'battle' and drops us off behind their lines," Chief explained.

"That could work," Cortana said after thinking for a moment. "But doing that in the day..."

"We launch at dusk. Fly at low altitude to avoid detection and would catch them by surprise," Fred suggested.

"Well that could work, but you could still be spotted afterwards," Cortana said. "There's not exactly a lot of cover out here."

"Then we'll have to use Active Camouflage," Chief said.

"Each of us gets a Wasp," Linda began. "Chief would need to fake being shot down."

"Or make it real," Chief said. "And to decrease the chance of casualties, I'm going alone."

"You actually want to be shot down?" Cortana asked.

"These guys aren't stupid, Cortana. They'll have to actually shoot me down. Make it real."

"Alright."

"So after you get shot down, what'll happen?" Kelly asked.

"I'll leave the wreck and run towards _Infinity_ 's location under the camouflage," Chief said.

"You'll have to be very fast. Once you're down we can't help you," Fred said.

"I know."

"This isn't the first time Chief's done this," Cortana said.

...

"How did _Infinity_ fall?" Ezra asked the Spartan Commander.

The group of Spartans, marines, and Mandalorians were sitting in a Pelican, flying at high speeds towards the UNSC FOB not far from _Infinity_ 's crash site.

"It had to be some sort of EMP. This has happened once before, but last time I was on board to protect the Captain," Palmer said.

"Lasky?"

"No, Lasky was the XO at that time. Captain Del Rio was the first captain of _Infinity_ , but after abandoning the Master Chief on a hostile, Forerunner planet, he lost his command. Lasky took over as the new captain and he's done one hell of a job keeping her afloat," Palmer explained.

"Until now," Sabine said.

"We're coming up on our FOB. Stand by for landing," the pilot announced.

"Everybody gear up. We're about to step foot on a warzone! Do not let your guard down under any circumstances. Am I clear?"

The bay was filled with the UNSC's battle cry as the Pelican landed and the bay doors opened. The small Spartan team and Marines ran out of the bay and towards the Mammoth, which was sitting still for the moment. Ezra and Sabine, and the rest of the Mandalorians, watched in awe as Scorpion tanks rolled around, forming a defensive perimeter, along with the Mantis walkers to assist them. Warthogs were patrolling the surrounding area, their crews making sure there weren't any scouts or probes spying on them. The looked over to the Mammoth and saw snipers watching ahead of the Mammoth, occasionally reaching for their radios to relay something in the distance.

"You lot coming or not? These doors won't stay open!" Palmer called out to them.

...

An excited Imperial officer struggled to keep his composure as he stood outside of his boss's office. In his hands were the latest reports from the ground and from space. The ground reports were just the same as before, but the reports from space came as a surprise. A very welcome one at that for the Imperial.

He hit the button by the door and heard an authoritative "Come in!" from inside. Hastily, he opened the door and approached the desk where Saxon sat. He was looking outside the window at the landscape, a glass of some fancy Mandalorian drink sitting on his arm rest.

"I have the latest reports from our forces, sir."

"Ah yes. Let me guess, there's nothing to report? Nothing out of the ordinary?"

"Our ground forces are not reporting anything out of the ordinary, but our space forces are reporting mass reinforcements. They've broken the UNSC blockade, sir."

Saxon stood up and approached the officer, snatching the data pad out of his hands and reading through it quickly. When he finished, his face broke out in a grin.

"That's really good news. I take it our suggestion worked?"

"The ray shields held, sir."

"Perfect. Get those troops where they need to be. They'll likely try to knock out any bases we have out here to get to us," Saxon said.

The Imperial officer saluted the mandalorian and left his office. Saxon looked back out the window and folded his hands behind his back.

"Your fleets are broken at last. Nothing can save you now. Your InterGalactic Alliance will fall, as will your UNSC."

...

Sparks were flying all over the place as massive power fluctuations continued throughout the 5 kilometer warship. Lasky stumbled to his feet, battered and bruised, but still alive. His left arm was twisted at a painful angle and after a quick roll call, he found that almost half of his bridge staff survived the crash.

"Roland, are you still here?" he called out, hoping the AI was still active.

"Barely, sir. The EMP barrage and the crash nearly knocked my systems out cold." The orange AI sprung up out of a holo terminal in a corner of the bridge.

"This is too much like Requiem, sir," Roland added.

"I have to agree," Lasky said. The pain in his broken arm flared and he winced, clutching his arm. "Do we have medics around?"

"Looking through security footage... or any that's still active, I'd say yes. There's a squad making their way up now," Roland said.

"Good. Everybody listen up!" Lasky called out to his bridge crew. "This is not the first time this has happened. We've survived on Requiem, and we will survive now. Just get to your stations and try to restore power before the enemy arrives. Chances are they know we're still intact. We've got medics en route to the bridge so as soon as out wounded are stable, get to work. Roland, can we get communications out to our ground forces?"

"They're not reliable, sir. Any attempt would either be in vain or open comms. Anybody could listen in on us and reveal our situation."

"I suppose then that's not a good idea..."

"They probably saw us going down," a marine said. "They'll come for us. Both our people and the Imperials."

"Then we'll just need to hold out until help arrives," Lasky said.

"I'm detecting a large number of people converging on our location. Whether they're friendly or not, I'm not sure."

"I doubt it's friendly," Lasky said. "Alert all hands to report to combat stations. Put the ship on lockdown!"

...

 _"Chief, you are getting close to the enemy lines. Remember, you need to get to Infinity before the Empire does under any means necessary!"_

"I got that," Chief groaned. He's been told this several times already. He knows the drill. He was there on Requiem when it first happened so this time shouldn't be too different. Just him against an army, fighting to get to one objective. To most people, this is suicide. To the Chief, it's no more than another day in the office.

"We're nearing the combat zone, Chief," Cortana said.

"Good. The drones still working?"

"Perfectly."

"Good. Begin the engagement."

With that, the Chief sped up his Wasp and soon found himself face to face with a wall of anti air fire.

...

 **Imperial FOB. Time: 2200**

"Another crate?" the stormtrooper asked.

His partner nodded, just as frustrated and annoyed as his friend. They have been tasked with checking crates of munitions and weapons and just when they were about to finish, they saw a bunch of lights in the distance.

"Alright... let's get this over with."

"Wait a second..."

The first stormtrooper looked to his partner in confusion, but of course his helmet concealed his features. "What is it now?"

"I don't think those are crates..."

"Why do you think that?"

"Those lights are orange... and there's quite a lot of them."

The first stormtrooper started to radio the commander of the forward operating base. "SS-7189 reporting from the west gate. Do we have anything scheduled for arrival at this time?"

 _"Negative 7189. What do you see?"_

"There are a bunch of lights heading our way, bearing 280."

 _"Acknowledged, we have them on our scopes."_

The alarms started going off as an alert message was repeated throughout the base. Incoming enemy aircraft.

The anti air guns started firing as the sound of engines were finally heard. Projectile guns were heard firing faster than anything the Imperials have ever heard before while missiles flew everywhere. Many of the missiles hit the empty ground while some hit piles of empty boxes, vehicles, and even some of the anti air batteries.

However, soon the Imperials got a grip on the situation and began shooting down multiple craft every couple of seconds with their own anti air missile batteries. Of all the craft that were shot down, one of them started falling outside the base perimeter and behind the line.

"Sir, there's a downed craft behind our lines. What are your orders?"

 _"Take your squad and search it. If there are any survivors, bring them to me!"_

"Yes sir!"

...

The right wing was hit.

Definitely going down.

"Chief, we should jump now!" Cortana shouted in the Chief's ears.

Still, he remained silent. Right before his "out-of-control" Wasp hit the ground, he regained some control and brought it out of a death spin and into a more controlled crash. The Wasp hit the ground and the Chief was thrown around the cockpit, but his physically augmented body and armor prevented him from feeling any pain.

After the aircraft stopped moving, he popped the canopy and looked around. Sure enough, he was behind the Imperial line.

"Chief to FOB," he muttered to himself. He was under strict radio silence. "I'm through. Cortana?"

"Sending the rest of the Wasps home," she said.

Immediately, the Wasps turned tail and sped back towards the UNSC FOB, all of them damaged, but still able to fly. As for all the Wasps hit with missiles, they went down fast.

"What a waste of resources," Cortana muttered.

"It was a necessary one," Chief said, though he felt the same way. "Let's get moving."

He pulled his weapons of choice from the cockpit and armed himself. His MA5B assault rifle rested on his back, an M6 series handgun locked on his belt hardpoint, a couple frag and plasma grenades, and an active camouflage projector for stealth, as well as a Z-4190 bubble shield to protect himself from any possible bombardment. He even brought an SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle. He switch his primary to his MA5B and clipped the SSRS99 to his back instead. After grabbing his loadout, he closed the canopy and locked it.

"May I suggest blowing this ship?" Cortana asked.

"Do it," Chief said.

Before Cortana could do anything, a bunch of lights shown towards the crash Wasp and stormtroopers were heard running towards the wreck.

"On second thought, let's wait a bit," Cortana said. She updated the Chief's HUD to a crater in the ground not far from him. "Hide in there. While these guys are investigating this, I'll detonate it."

"Great idea. Keeps them off our trail," Chief realized. He ran over to the waypoint and slid into the crater right as a troop carrier lit up its spotlight on the wreck.

Several stormtroopers surrounded the wreck and ordered the pilot to surrender.

Cortana just scoffed at them, "They have no idea what's about to happen, do they?"

Chief remained silent as one of the troopers approached the canopy and attempted to open it to no avail. He heard them shouting that it's been locked and calling the pilot a coward.

One of them, Chief presumed was their squad leader, ordered they force the canopy open using laser cutters of some kind.

"Whenever you're ready, Cortana."

"Detonation in 3... 2... 1... Boom."

Right at her cue, the engines revved up and overloaded, blowing the ship apart and killing all but one. The shuttle hovering over the wreck maneuvered in a perfect position for the Chief. Quickly thinking, he dropped his MA5B and grabbed his SRS99 and took careful aim. As soon as the shuttle banked to counter its own movements, he took the shot at the pilot and the shuttle came crashing down, exploding into a ball of fire upon impact with the ground.

"If they weren't alerted to attack before, they definitely are now," Cortana said.

"We should leave," Chief said, turning around and heading for the new waypoint updated into his HUD.

...

"Chief made it to the other side of the Imperial line," Kelly said. "He's on a one man mission to get to _Infinity_."

"Why didn't he bring the rest of you?" Ezra asked.

"By the time they broke through the Imperial line and made it to _Infinity_ , it could be too late," Sabine said, making her best guess of the situation.

"Precisely," Kelly said. "You really seem to know your battle strategies."

"She's a mandalorian. They're known for their wars and combat abilities," Ezra said.

"I suppose that would be a great ally to have," Palmer said.

"We've been through so many wars in the past before," Sabine said. "We can help you fight the Empire, but we'll need to rally our warriors."

"I guess that answers our question about liberating this world," Fred said.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asked.

" _Infinity_ can't stay here forever. There are other fronts to fight on. After your people are rallied, you could continue the fight to take back your homeworld," Fred explained. "Of course we would still have our own troops fighting alongside yours, but that is up to you."

"We would have to be grateful for your assistance," Sabine said. "But... you have a point. My people don't like receiving help from off worlders."

"We can discuss these terms _after_ we win support of the people. Taking out that Academy would cripple the Empire's ability to recruit any more Mandalorians to their cause!" Palmer said.

"They have forts protecting the academy," she continued. "Those forts are what's making up this Imperial front line. It's the backbone of their defense operation."

"We take out a couple forts, their backs would be broken," Ezra said.

"Giving us an open shot at the Academy," Palmer agreed.

"Where's the nearest fort?" Sabine asked. "I don't recall seeing them here."

"They must have been constructed after Lothal was taken from them," Buck said, walking up to the Spartan Commander. "The perimeter is secure. So far there is no counter offensive from the Empire."

"Good," Palmer said, nodding.

"What's our next move?" he asked then.

"We're about to choose which fort to attack first. We might have the manpower and the supplies, but with _Infinity_ down we are severely limited," Palmer said.

"We're thinking that if we attack a fort, it could distract the Imperials and divert their attention away from _Infinity_ , giving the Master Chief enough time to get there and help secure it," Sabine said.

"Wouldn't we need to scout the fort first before blindly attacking?" Ezra asked.

"Yes, we would..."

The holomap of the entire war zone appeared; all the Imperial forts and friendly locations spread about in two lines.

"Since the Empire's air strike, we've had to thin out our lines quite a bit. We're still a wall of steel, but no doubt they're the same way. We have open fighting every day in fields as much as in nearby towns. So far, the nearest major city is where that Academy is," Fred said.

"Dropping right on it would have left us surrounded," Ezra realized. He always wondered why they didn't just drop on top of it in the first place, and now he has his answer. How he didn't realize it sooner he doesn't know.

"DId you just figure that out, Ezra?" Sabine asked him.

"Maybe," he muttered.

"So what are the rules of engagement against the forts?" Buck asked.

"The only air forces we have available are a few Broadswords and Longswords that landed in makeshift airfields somewhere behind our lines, plus whatever Wasps and Hornets we brought with us here. We're limited in air power so we'll have to revert back to long range missile combat," Palmer said.

"Long range missile combat?"

"Our fighters would stay out of visual range from the TIEs. Judging by their designs and how they fight, I'm guessing they don't have any missiles at all equipped."

"The TIE Defender has those," Ezra said.

"I bet they're not as long range as ours, though. Besides, we took out their factory on Lothal. All production is gone and we scrapped whatever was built," Buck said. "I saw to that personally."

"By the way," Kelly began. "Commander, are we the only Spartan team down here?"

"Blue Team plus whatever Spartans I brought with me. Fireteam Osiris is covering our left flank while Majestic has our right," Palmer replied. "The rest of the Spartan Fireteams were stationed on _Infinity_ , waiting for deployment."

"Should we contact Osiris and Majestic on our attack on our nearest fort?" Buck asked.

"No. We'll need them to cover our flanks in case other forts attempt to counter us. I'll be relaying our plan to the other platoons," Palmer said. "Also, Buck."

"Yes, Commander?"

"I'll be taking Commanders Bridger and Wren under my watch from now on. You should report to your old Fireteam," she said.

"What? Why?" Ezra asked.

"He's not part of Blue Team or my personal team. His team is further north," Palmer said.

"Don't worry about me, you two," Buck said. "If anything, I'd rather you two stuck with Commander Palmer for the meantime. She is the commanding officer over all Spartan Fireteams aboard _Infinity_ after all."

He pulled on his helmet and left the Mammoth's control room and boarded a Pelican to his post in the north. His current Fireteam, Alpha-Nine, is still on _Infinity_. With no way to get there quickly, he's headed to his old Spartan Fireteam, Osiris.


	21. Airborne

**Chapter 21**

Chief lay prone in the open ground, his active camouflage currently active as an Imperial patrol went by. Cortana said they were heading for Infinity, which gave him an idea.

As the last transport hovered by, he set down an explosive charge in their path and detonated it, forcing the convoy to slow down enough for him to climb onto the roof of the last transport.

The monitor on his Active Camo turned red, blinked rapidly, then shut down.

"Perfect timing," Cortana said.

Chief remained quiet as he eyed the recharging Active Camo indicator. Then, he heard the sound of a sliding door opening and he reactivated his AC, quietly telling Cortana to put divert power from his shields to the camo, making it last a lot longer.

A stormtrooper poked his head up from the side of the transport and looked around.

"What is it?" one of the others asked.

The first stormtrooper kept looking around. "I thought I heard something jump up top... I'm going to investigate."

He climbed up and walked about the roof of the transport. He eyed the gun turret near the rear and slowly approached it.

"I know you're there! Hands up!" he ordered, raising his blaster.

Nobody appeared.

"I said come out!"

Chief didn't move.

The stormtrooper grew impatient and looked around the turret...

"CT-7642, what's going on?"

The first stormtrooper shook his head. He sees the dent in the roof, but doesn't see anybody. "It's all clear...?"

"No rebels?"

"None."

"Then get back inside! We don't know if anything else will suddenly combust! Besides, it was probably just debris that hit us."

The stormtrooper climbed back inside the transport, shutting and locking the door again.

Chief clung to the rear of the transport, then quickly climbed back up and leaned against the turrent. The camouflage just then gave out as the power cells in Chief's suit started to recharge the device.

"That was too close," Cortana said.

"We've been closer," Chief said.

"You have a point. Are we really riding this thing all the way to _Infinity_?"

"We don't have a choice. We can't outrun these transports."

"That's... very true..." Cortana said.

"How long until we get to _Infinity_?" Chief asked.

"At this rate? I'd say about 20 minutes."

...

The gunfire seemed louder than he had remembered. As expected, the fake night raid on the Imperial front-line resulted in an Imperial counter-attack. They brought out more walkers, soldiers, and TIE fighters today. If anything, it was predictable, but Ezra had to hand it to the Empire. They were not used to large scale warfare with a species from another galaxy. Granted they're using guns, they fire at a much faster rate and with more power than the typical slugthrowers. Imperial armor, though apparently had some sort of protection against slugthrowers, was like paper to the UNSCs guns.

"If I may ask... about the guns?" Ezra asked.

"Go for it," Palmer said.

"The stormtroopers are supposed to be relatively protected against slugs..."

"Bullets."

"Whatever. Here's my question... what is it about them that break their armor so easily?" Ezra asked.

"What's the fire rate of your... slugthrowers?" Palmer asked.

"I hear Tusken Raiders on Tatooine have single-shot. Our slugs can be enveloped with energy, though."

"Even then, it's still considered a projectile if there's something physical about whatever's being fired. Plasma and other energy weapons don't necessarily count as projectiles unless they're contained and launched in some sort of capsule or shell."

"What about the things we use in larger starships? We have them contained in large shells," Sabine said.

"If they're purely energy when fired, my point still stands," Palmer said.

 **A/N: I'm going to say this right now, but I may not be entirely accurate with that definition of a projectile. I say this as how I see what projectiles are.**

"And our guns have more RPM. You should already know this, you've seen some of the training," Palmer added.

"Well... yeah, but I was just curious," Ezra said. "Sorry if I wasted your time..."

Palmer looked to the sky and saw Imperial bombers approaching. Immediately, she activated her radio and called it in.

Moments later, several Longswords appeared and shot down the Imperial bombers, then went on to bomb the Imperials instead.

"Kriff... I've never seen something happen so fast before!" Sabine exclaimed.

"How fast can those TIE Bombers fly?" Palmer asked.

"I don't know how to say it in your terms of speed..." Sabine said.

"I guess I can check the records..." Palmer grumbled. She quickly checked translated records about the TIE Bomber. "For us it has a top atmospheric speed of 850 kilometers per hour."

"How fast does the Longsword go?" Ezra asked.

"Now's not a good time to discuss top speed for bombers, but I can guarantee you that it's faster. The Longsword isn't just a bomber, it's an interceptor that just happens to carry a lot of bombs. It's multi-role. Interceptor, Strike fighter, atmospheric and exoatmospheric fighter, and bomber."

"Multi-role? Do we have something like that?" Ezra asked Sabine.

"We have the X-wing, and I can recall information from the old Republic ARC-170 being a multi-role fighter."

A TIE fighter crashed near the Mammoth, forcing everybody to duck for cover as debris and shrapnel rained down on them.

...

Five transports.

All full of stormtroopers.

Lasky watched the newly reconnected security footage as several Imperial stormtroopers poured out of the transports and started forming ranks.

"Roland, we're going to need all combat able personnel to battle stations. If they try to break their way inside _Infinity_ , we'll need to keep our engineers covered."

"I'm already on it, sir," Roland said. "The alert has already been sent out."

Lasky's arm was in a sling and it was completely numb. A medic ran by him just a little while ago and fixed his arm in the right position, then ran off to find more injured. Granted, the medic objected to leaving, but it was Lasky's orders.

The stormtroopers just started to advance when one of them started to freak out. He started looking around, and tried to pull something off of his back, but just moments after it was placed, it exploded. Several stormtroopers were caught in the blast, most of them killed, but many wounded.

They just started to look around when gunfire erupted behind them. While all the stormtroopers panicked while failing to hit whatever was shooting at them, one after the other they were felled by automatic fire.

"Sir, look right here!" Roland exclaimed, zooming the footage in on a particular spot. He froze the live feed so they could get a better look.

Lasky grinned, "It's the Master Chief! His timing couldn't have been better!"

...

"I think we definitely caught them by surprise!" Cortana said.

Chief just finished off the last stormtrooper just as his camo ran out.

He ejected the module from his armor and it started smoking and sparking.

"I think we overloaded it," he said.

"Well, we always find a way to break something, right?"

"Sierra 117 to _Infinity_ , do you read me?"

 _"Infinity to Sierra 117, are we glad to hear you. What's your status?"_

"I'm fine. What about _Infinity_?"

 _"We're still low on power, but we can bring everything back online easily. Our weapons are, once again, knocked offline and need to be manually restarted."_

"This is too much like Requiem," Cortana said.

"You weren't there," Chief said.

"I know _I_ wasn't. But I still have the old Cortana's memory. All thanks to you, anyway."

They don't really talk about that Cortana much. It's still a painful topic for the Chief to discuss with even his new Cortana. That one, along with the Created, are still at large in the Milky Way. Not to mention the corrupted officials of ONI, who followed Halsey's research but twisted it to radical ideals. Chief still remembers that trial, too. Halsey was found guilty of kidnapping and treason, though the latter were lifted after seeing proof that she was "working" with the Covenant Remnant only to find out valuable information, but before she could serve her sentences she was murdered by the very people who once followed her. They claimed that she was tricked into believing that her own research was inhumane. On the contrary, she rejected her old ways of making Spartans and accepted the new.

The whole thing is still very complicated to make sense of, mostly because they're completely insane.

" _Any time you can help bring them online, that would be appreciated. We're reading multiple squadrons of TIE bombers incoming."_

"Copy that, _Infinity_."

...

"Sir, our recovery teams have arrived one schedule, but we seem to have lost all contact," an officer reported to the Saxon.

"What do you mean we lost contact? There is no UNSC or Rebel presence around that ship and they shouldn't have power! Send another team to investigate. Walkers, tanks, everything!"

"With all due respect, sir... it is a 5 km long ship... they have fighters that are more than capable of defending their own..."

Saxon glared at the officer, "Exactly why I ordered tanks and walkers to support the troopers!"

Another officer ran up with a new report. "Governor! The bombers have arrived on location. The ship should be under siege as we speak."

"Good. Keep them there a little longer until our ground forces arrive."

"Yes sir!"

...

"Bombs away..."

The copilot watched as the ion bombs fell from their tubes and hit the defenseless UNSC vessel.

"This is too easy! We might be able to completely destroy it!"

"Idiot!" the pilot shouted. "We're not supposed to destroy it! We only need to make sure it's disabled completely. Research teams will be studying their tech and maybe their history. If we can do that, we can develop an effective strategy against them!"

"Well... I suppose you're right... That being said, we should hit their engines."

The bomber suddenly started shaking violently as something exploded next to them.

"What was that?"

The pilot looked over to his left, where the explosion came from, and watched in horror as another bomber fell towards the surface... Or at least, what was left of it.

He saw a small red beam flashing towards another one of their bombers, then that one exploded.

"All bombers! The enemy has active defenses! Evasive maneuvers!"

...

Several soldiers dotted the outer hull, firing missiles while whatever Spartans were still on board were firing the M6 "Spartan Laser". The TIE bombers started evasive maneuvers and managed to evade the lasers, while some started tanking the missiles.

"These missiles aren't doing anything to them!" a marine shouted.

"Just keep firing at your target!" his squad commander ordered. "They'll fall eventually!"

"Incoming!"

A few bombers regrouped and flew in formation over the marine's heads and dropped their payloads of ion and proton bombs.

"Fine cover, now!"

Marines scrambled for cover, though many of them never found cover in time while some barely managed to find some. Screams filled the air, not only from the bomber's engines, but also from wounded marines scattered around the hull.

"When is that Spartan going to get our defenses back online!"

"Just give him a few more minutes! Anybody that are able, pick up a launcher and keep firing!"

...

 _"Chief, what's the status of those defenses?"_

"I'm almost there," he replied.

He just found one of the manual restart panels and flipped the switch.

"One's up."

 _"Great! We need three more activated before others start rebooting on their own. Make it quick, Chief. We're taking heavy hits."_

Master Chief started running for the next panel, and after nearly 30 minutes of constant running, he finally flipped the final switch.

"All manual restart switches are flipped."

 _"I see that. Great work! They're all coming online now. I've dispatched a Pelican to your location. We need you on the front."_

"Understood."

Moments later, a Pelican landed in front of Chief and brought him towards the defense line.

...

"Push them back!" the officer shouted.

For his first major battle ever since taking command of his very own stormtrooper battalion, he was excited. He has orders to forcibly break through the UNSC defense and take over the ship. All bomber wings were ordered to withdraw since they were taking too many losses from missile and laser weapons.

His army of stormtroopers was backed by AT-ST and AT-AT walkers. Almost nothing the UNSC fired at the AT-ATs did anything at all, not including a couple lucky hits to the neck of one, and to the knee of another. The enemy line was starting to crumble and victory was in sight.

But then things took a turn for the worst for his army.

A missile, too large to be fired from a shoulder mounted launcher, hit one of the AT-ATs and completely destroyed it. Large guns were seen moving about the entire flank of the ship and opened up on advancing fighters.

"What's going on? I need a report, NOW!" the officer shouted.

"Their weapons systems seem to be back online, sir! We need to fall back!"

"No retreat! We push through their lines and take the ship!"

Another AT-AT explodes as another missile hits it, the blast crippling a couple other walkers.

The officer watched the UNSC soldiers lined up behind the edge of the crater their ship made upon impact with the surface and noted that their shots were rapid, but relatively equal with his own soldiers. He determined that they were using single fire energy weapons, much like their own. However, that thought was quite literally shot down as his troops suddenly jerked backward and fell to the ground, blood pooling underneath them and spilling over their formerly white armor. He didn't see anything flying towards his troops.

"What in the Galaxy just happened?! I want answers!"

"They're not using energy weapons, sir! These slugthrowers of theirs are more advanced than I've ever seen!" an lieutenant said, clearly frightened.

"Order our troops to hold the advance. All remaining walkers, fire on their lines!"

...

 _"All forces, return to Infinity. Flight power has been restored, we're getting up and out of here!"_

"Yes sir!" Chief replied. He motioned for all the Marines and his fellow Spartans to board their Pelicans and board _Infinity_ , just as a volley of AT-AT fire opened up on them.

"Watch those cannons!" a co-pilot shouted.

One of the Pelicans flew too high, and though they tried to do evasive maneuvers, they were hit in the engines by the AT-ATs laser cannons.

 _"We're hit! Mayday, mayday! We're losing control!"_

 _"Watch your spacing! Get clear of the hit Pelican!"_

 _"We're too close to Infinity! We can't go anywhe-..."  
_

Static filled a patch of communications where the third Pelican was supposed to be. The first Pelican crashed into the third, bringing both of them to a hard landing.

"Pilot, get me down there!" Chief said. "We need to get any survivors!"

"I'm on it, Chief!"

"Infinity, Sierra-117. Two Pelicans are down, I'm moving to provide assistance."

 _"Acknowledged, S-117. We'll cover you best we can, but you're going to have to be quick. We can't launch bombers to take out the enemy ground force. They're too close. The sooner you get out of there, the sooner we can get out of here."_

Chief jumped out of the Pelican just before it touched down and ran over to the crashed Pelicans. All pilots were hurt, but were alright, as were most of the Marines they carried. Unfortunately, almost half of the Marines were killed in the sudden crash and both Pelicans were out of commission.

"Get aboard! We can't hold this position much longer!" the pilot shouted.

The Marines and pilots jumped aboard and Chief was the last to board.

"Cortana, as soon as _Infinity_ is clear, detonate the charges."

"With pleasure," the smart AI said.

When everybody was back in the safe confines of _Infinity_ 's hangars, the ship rose into the air, all the engines running on full power. The Imperials on the ground fired everything they had at the _Infinity_ , but they were unable to get passed her shields and armor. As soon as _Infinity_ was airborne, away from the Imperial force, Lasky ordered Longsword crews to launch and provide escort. They will not engage the Imperials unless they attempted to follow.

...

"That's really good news!" Palmer exclaimed. She was standing over one of the communication consoles in the Mammoth. Everything was relatively quiet for the moment, except for the sounds of machinery within the Mammoth plus all the escorting vehicles around it.

"What happened?" Ezra asked.

" _Infinity_ is airborne. She's heading our way as we speak," Palmer replied.

"Why is it heading here?" Sabine asked. "Why not just go back up to orbit?"

"Are you joking?" a marine replied. "Those Imperials are up there with their EMP guns. She'll get blasted as soon as they spot her!"

Sabine turns red, embarrassed, "Oh... right, I forgot."

Ezra stares at her, "How did you forget? That's really unlike you, Sabine..."

Sabine glares at him. "I'm sorry, but lately there's been a lot happening so I've been a bit distracted!"

Ezra raises his hands in surrender, "Sorry, geez... We've all been a bit distracted."

"Now isn't a good time to argue, or get distracted. I get this is all really new to all of you, but we need you to stay focused. Especially you, Wren," Palmer scolded.

Sabine snapped to attention and nodded.

"Yes, ma'am," she said confidently.

Ezra looks out of the Mammoth and sees something in the distance. "Hey, what is that?"

Palmer looks to where Ezra was pointing and looks through some binoculars.

"Alert all hands. We've got the _Infinity_ incoming!"


End file.
